16 Date Night London Restaurants That Guarantee You’ll Get A Second
In need of some date destination inspiration? We’ve rounded up the best date night London restaurants perfect for when you’re looking to impress on a first date, somewhere to help you secure that all-important third date or restaurants to visit with your partner of years. From blow-the-budget anniversary must-visits to quirky first dates, these are our favourites…
Brat
Brat summer might be over, but there are still more than enough reasons to head to this lovely restaurant perched on the first floor of a pub. Don’t judge it by its discreet location – led by Chef Tomos Parry, Brat got itself a Michelin star within six months of opening. Inspired by the cooking techniques of the Basque Country, your visit might just be a slightly smoky one with chefs cooking over fire here. Meat eaters and seafood lovers will love this one, and the menu takes you from the affordable (lamb ribs for £11) to the steep (a whole turbot fish for £185).
Where: 4 Redchurch Street, Hackney, E1 6JL
Website:www.bratrestaurant.com
Clos Maggiore
Often named as London’s most romantic restaurant, it’s hard not to include this magical spot in a round of date night London restaurants.
It’s no doubt seen countless proposals take place inside its doors. And it’s easy to see why – the interiors are sublime and the modern European menu has been awarded multiple AA-rosette awards. Try to reserve the table in front of the majestic fireplace to secure serious brownie points with your date.
33 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JD
www.closmaggiore.com
Eel Sushi Bar
Sushi on a first date is a great idea, because it tells you things. Can they hold chopsticks properly? Do they have proper dining etiquette? Are they adventurous? All of these may or may not be prerequisites for a potential partner.
Eel Sushi Bar is one of the best new sushi bars opening, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg like some of the omakase spots that keep popping up. Just extremely high-quality fish, prepared extremely skillfully.
Eel Sushi Bar is one of the best new sushi bars opening, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg like some omakase spots
where: 118 Talbot Rd, London W11 1JR
website: www.eelsushi.com
Twenty8 NoMad
Have you seen a more beautiful dining room? The NoMad Hotel opened its doors in 2021 and immediately gained attention thanks to its noteworthy interiors, sensual atmosphere and stunning dining room, recently redesigned by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio (MBDS), putting a fresh spin on the classic palm court that celebrates grandness and intimacy, especially when the sun goes down...
The cuisine is a New York-inspired bistro that celebrates local and seasonal ingredients. The menu sports a huge seafood tower, outstanding steak fites and a dedicated martini menu. An open wood-burning grill lies at the front of the dining room, where meat is cooked before you.
28 Bow Street, WC2E 7aw
www.thenomadhotel.com
Bambi
If you’re looking to impress your date with proof of great music taste and knowledge of orange wine, you really have to head east. Bambi is a small plates-slash-wine bar-slash-listening bar in Hackney that all your coolest friends take their first dates.
On the food side, there’s grilled peaches with whipped mascarpone and hazelnuts, fried feta with pickled chilli and Thai short rib salad, paired with a diverse wine list and enviable record collection. On Fridays and Saturdays, DJ sets take over until after midnight, so you can get dancing if so inclined.
where: 1 Westgate St, London E8 3RL
Website: www.bambi-bar.com
Nina
Nina only opened in March, but it has already become one of London’s hottest bookings. It’s a place where having a reservation already constitutes an in-the-know cultural signifier, and the low lighting-white tablecloth combination screams date night.
It also does the smart thing of not trying to be a London-based Italian purporting to transport you to Puglia or the Amalfi coast. Expect mini cocktails and a menu full of delights like arancini, cured wagyu, yellowtail crudo with straciatella and jalapeno and chicken milanese.
Nina has already become one of London’s hottest bookings
Where: 18 Thayer St, London W1U 3JY
Website: www.nina.london.com
Bibi
Brought to life by chef Chet Sharma, Bibi is a contemporary Indian restaurant in Mayfair serving chaat and grills, which are perfect for sharing, and which embrace the full multicultural span of Indian cuisine. Sharma has drawn on the years he spent cooking and sourcing ingredients for some of the most esteemed Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK to create dishes that will make any night extra special.
42 North Audley Street, Mayfair, W1K 6zp
www.bibirestaurants.com
Sune
Another small plates restaurant with a great wine list, Sune has been a flame to date night moths since opening in 2023 in Broadway Market. Launched by hospitality duo Honey Spencer and Charlie Sims, whose joint history includes time at Noma in Copenhagen, and Evelyn’s Table.
It serves up a menu consisting of European-inspired sharing plates. Think grilled flatbreads, Carlingford oysters and seared scallops with samphire and shiso.
Sune has been a flame to date night moths since opening in 2023 in Broadway Market.
where: 129A Pritchard’s Rd, London E2 9AP
website: sune.restaurant
Andrew Edmunds
Long considered one of London’s most romantic spots, this Soho gem is surprisingly affordable and feels like a throwback in the best way. The menu changes regularly, but mains hover around the £20-22 mark and can be anything from a mushroom ragu to chicken supreme Milanese. A real chef’s favourite, the quality of food is exceptional.
Areal chef’s favourite, the quality of food is exceptional.
where: 46 Lexington St, London W1F 0LP
website: www.andrewedmunds.co.uk
Carlotta
The hottest new trattoria from the Big Mamma Group, Carlotta, opened up earlier this year and has been the hottest ticket. Perfect for date nights, the space celebrates Italian-American tradition, paying homage to the Italians who moved across the pond to create a new wealth of Italian culture.
The space is cosy and intimate, complete with the team’s own family wedding photographs adorning the walls, red leather banquette seating and dark wooden tables.
The menu brings Italo Americano classics to the table, from spaghetti and meatballs to fettuccine alfredo al tartufo.
77-78 Marylebone High Street, W1U 5JX
www.bigmammagroup.com
Trullo
Home-cooked Italian food done well. That’s how we’d describe Trullo, the sister pasta site from the same team behind the ever-popular Padella. Authenticity plays a big role at the restaurant, with the fresh handmade pasta rolled minutes before service and fresh fish and meats cooked over burning coals. Who doesn’t want pasta on a date night?
Authenticity plays a big role at the restaurant, with fresh handmade pasta rolled minutes before service
300 – 302 St Paul’s Road, N1 2LH
www.trullorestaurant.com
Kiln
One of the city’s best Thai restaurants – a dense field in 2025 – Kiln is known for its trademark open kitchen, wood burning, and noodles.
The menu is regularly on the move, but the Thai barbecue concept remains ever-present. Their curries are outstanding, including braised beef shin curry, jungle curry with smoked kippers, and Chak Som sour curry with grey mullet. The dining area is small, and the counter runs on a walk-in, first come first serve basis, so be speedy.
where: 58 Brewer St, London W1F 9TL
website: www.kilnsoho.com
Dalloway Terrace
Changing with the seasons, Dalloway Terrace is always the first indicator that we’ve moved into a new season. This is a guaranteed winner for any floral lover as each season the space is transformed with new florals inspired by what’s in season. The menu and cocktails are also transformed, so we can’t wait to see where this autumn takes it…
16-22 Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, WC1B 3nn
www.dallowayterrace.com
Sessions Arts Club
Sessions Arts Club has been hot on everyone’s lips since it opened. A favourite amongst the art set, the restaurant sits inside a grand Grade II* listed building with a dining room that’s surrounded by three terraces with fireplaces, a rooftop bar and a garden.
The menu is ever-changing with dishes designed for sharing – expect everything from sea bream with fig leaf and sorrel to quail, corn and crème fraîche.
Reserve your spot now to impress your date in an instant.
Old Sessions House, 24 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0NA
www.sessionsartsclub.com
La Maison Ani
If you like your date nights with a bit of distraction, this is the perfect spot. Just moments from Sloane Street and sporting plentiful open-air terrace seating, people watching offers a brilliant complement to the romantic Parisian-Mediterranean atmosphere.
The service is on point, and Chef Izu Ani’s seasonal menu is vibrant, featuring shareable dishes such as slow-cooked short rib served with Padrón peppers, roasted carrots, and sweet onions. Top or tail your date with an evening amble through Hyde Park – a great excuse to walk and talk.
Where: The Carlton Tower, 1 Cadogan Pl, London SW1X 9PY
Website: lamaisonanilondon.com
The service is on point, and Chef Izu Ani’s seasonal menu is vibrant, featuring shareable dishes such as slow-cooked short rib served with Padrón peppers, roasted carrots, and sweet onions.
Robyn, Managing Director
Searcys at the Gherkin
Dine with unparalleled views overlooking the city, and you’re guaranteed to win over your date. Searcys at the Gherkin is truly a sensational experience, from the striking views you won’t find anywhere else to the endless Champagne options and fine dining.
Championing the best of British cuisine, there’s something for everyone, from afternoon tea through to set menus.
The Gherkin, 30 St Mary Axe, EC3A 8bf
www.searcysatthegherkin.co.uk
