THE sun is shining in London, there’s lots of bronzed skin on show and we’re angling for a paddling pool to be installed into the office. With all this hot hot heat, we have romance on our mind here at Pillow Magazine.
Knowing that we are experts on fun-times in London, quirky dating site DoingSomething asked Pillow Magazine to recommend their top summer dates.
Best of all – if you aren’t currently seeing someone, all you have to do is add one of these fun dates to your profile and then others that like the sound of it will make a date with you. Easy!
Here’s our top summer dates in London.
Chilled out Pub Crawl in Shoreditch
The perfect date venue is difficult to ascertain. Common concerns include:
Too formal, not cosy enough, too expensive, too cheap, too posh, not posh enough, not very romantic, too romantic…
Let Pillow Magazine recommend a tried and tested combination.
Redchurch Street is located at the top of Brick Lane, and has – what we think – is a fail-safe route to romance. Start off at Shoreditch pub The Owl and Pussycat. It’s got the perfect combination of low-key, yet cool. As it’s summer, it gives the perfect opportunity to soak up the sun with a hidden beer garden out the back. Otherwise you can spill out into the street at the front of the pub. It’s enough of a ‘pub’ to make you look like you haven’t tried too hard, but has enough style points to show you know what you are doing when you arrange a night out.
After a few drinks, it’s only a hop, skip and a jump to get to The Redchurch – the perfect follow-up venue for a date that’s going rather well. The Redchurch is open till the small hours, ALWAYS has good music and looks gorgeous. The quality cocktails and sultry red decor helps give the perfect atmosphere for your date. Only warning – it’s not cheap and doubles only cost a little more than a single, so you may end up a little tipsy – So if after all those double gin and tonics you find that you’re feeling peckish – Brick Lane’s famous bagel shop is just around the corner. If bagels just don’t rock the boat you’re in food heaven as there’s a wealth of other restaurants are walking distance.
Try it out, and thank us later.
Head to DoingSomething and find out more info here.
Go Back To Nature – Horse Riding in Central London.
Cowboys always got the ladies, right? So it only figures that being good in the saddle (ahem) impresses the fairer sex. Clint Eastwood, Zorro… they all looked good on the back of a stallion. So one way straight to a woman’s heart, must surely be showing off your prowess on the back of a horse.
Just perfect your air of mystery and a mean and moody look while on the nag and you’ll suddenly become irresistible without even trying. But don’t worry – you don’t even have to leave the capital to have a picturesque horse riding lesson.
If you are a city-dweller but flowers and a dinner date aren’t really your thing, head over to Hyde Park Stables who offer riding lessons in Central London. You don’t have to leave the hustle and bustle of the big smoke. VERY COOL.
Check out more information here.
Get Crafty at Drink Shop Do
Proving that the Caledonian Road has more to offer than kebab places and a prison is shop-cum-café-cum-craft space Drink, Shop & Do.
This draft house meets craft house started when two female pals Kristie and Coralie, who met at school, decided to create a nirvana of creativity and vintage sales that would make them happy. Located in King’s Cross the boutique looks like a normal shop from the outside. But once you enter through their doors you realise that there is more to the shop than meets the eye.
This little gem is the perfect meeting place for dates, providing excellent cocktails, a fab snack menu and a packed schedule of fun crafting events. Yes, fun. If you’ve never made a Lego robot nor participated in musical bingo, it’s high time you get down there. There’s something for everyone, from swing dance lessons to colouring-in evenings and fashioning Lionel Ritchie figurines out of clay. Bursting at the brim with activities you won’t be stuck for something to do!
Yet, if you fancy a more casual approach to your date, simply meet up for coffee or cocktails, sit down on one of the cozy vintage seats – if you love them they can be yours, everything you see is for sale – and grab one of the many board games provided. A round of scrabble or mystery solving in Cluedo should break the ice and give you plenty to talk about.
It’ll set you back about £20 per person. But that’s not all that boutique and craft house has to offer. Head down on a Friday and Saturday after hours for a late night disco. Dubbed Drink, Shop and Dance, party-goers can head downstairs to bust some of their best moves on the dancefloor. It can get very hot and sweaty though, so a slinky little dress will be better than your thermals.
Rooftop Drinks in East London
You want to show your date the dizzying heights of east London’s skyline but you’re not a member at Shoreditch House (and your mate won’t let you pretend to be them anymore after what happened last time. Spoilsport.) So head to The Boundary next door. By no means a poor man’s member’s club, this place actually has a charm all of it’s own.
Take the lift to the top floor (it’s only a few flights so you shouldn’t have to endure too much small talk). As you arrive, you’ll be asked whether you’d like to eat or just drink; there’s a restaurant up here but they’re equally happy just to serve you booze so the choice is yours.
The crowd here is pretty cosmo, you’re near Liverpool Street after all. A combination of cooler-than-usual bankers and graphic designers is what you’ll find here, affluent and arty all at the same time. Top mix.
If you want to start off your evening with a underrated and classy spin – this is the perfect place to go! Cocktails and a stunning view over London are sure to impress even the most jaded of Londoners. Table service means you can totally relax. Food is available too so you don’t need to go anywhere for a bite to eat.
Sounds good? More information here.
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