City guide · England
First date ideas in London: where to meet and how to get home
By The Fling Compass editorial team · Last checked
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London is big enough that 'let's meet halfway' can mean an hour on the Tube for one of you. Pick somewhere central that you can both reach on one line, close to a station, and you've already taken half the stress out of a first date.
Everywhere below is busy, easy to find and easy to leave. You can hear each other talk, there are people around, and if it goes well there's always somewhere for a second drink within a few minutes' walk. If it doesn't, the station is right there.
Tell a friend where you're going and who you're meeting. It costs nothing, and in a city this size it matters.
Where to go in London
Covent Garden and Seven Dials
Central, crowded until late and surrounded by Tube stations: Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road are all a short walk away.
Embankment and the South Bank
The river walk between Embankment and Waterloo is lit and busy most evenings, so a stroll after a drink is either an easy next step or an easy goodbye.
King's Cross
Coal Drops Yard and Granary Square are open, pedestrianised and next to one of the best-connected stations in the country.
Elephant & Castle
Handy if one of you lives south. Busy at weekends, with the Tube and plenty of buses on the doorstep.
The Barbican
Quieter than the West End in the evening, which suits people who'd rather hear each other than the music.
Places for a first drink
Busy enough to feel relaxed, quiet enough to talk, and easy to leave. Check opening times on their own sites before you go.
- 01
Gordon's Wine Bar
wine bar · Embankment
It calls itself London's oldest wine bar and it looks the part, with candlelit cellar rooms and a large outdoor terrace. Embankment station is a minute's walk away.
- 02
Lamb & Flag
pub · Covent Garden
An old Fuller's pub on Rose Street, a narrow lane off Garrick Street. It fills up after work, which is no bad thing for a first meeting: plenty of people around and no pressure to fill every silence.
- 03
Seven Dials Market
street food hall · Covent Garden
A covered food hall with shared tables and lots of choice, so if the drink turns into dinner you don't need a plan. Casual enough that nobody feels they've been taken somewhere fancy.
- 04
Barbican Centre
arts centre bars · The Barbican
Big foyers, plenty of places to sit and bars that are calmer than a pub on a Friday. If the conversation is flowing, there's usually a film or a gig to carry on with.
- 05
Mercato Metropolitano
food market · Elephant & Castle
A large, busy food market south of the river with long tables and dozens of stalls. Food takes the edge off a first meeting, and you're never sitting alone in a quiet room.
- 06
Coal Drops Yard
bars and restaurants · King's Cross
Restored Victorian coal sheds full of bars and places to eat, right next to King's Cross St Pancras. Meet in the yard and choose somewhere together.
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A one-page checklist for the night before, sent to your inbox. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Getting home
On Friday and Saturday nights the Night Tube runs on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines, and TfL lists the Windrush line in the same night service. Not every station on every line is served all night, so check your exact route in the TfL Go app or Journey Planner before you go out, not at 1am.
Night buses run 24 hours and have CCTV, and they cover the nights and the places the Tube doesn't. Tube, Elizabeth line and Overground stations are staffed until the last train.
Black cabs can be hailed in the street or picked up from a rank, and every one has a card machine. Minicabs are different: they must be booked with a licensed company, by app, phone or in person. Your booking confirmation should show the number plate, the driver's first name, their private hire licence number and a photo. If the car or the driver doesn't match, don't get in.
A minicab that approaches you, or that a doorman walks you to, is unbooked. TfL is blunt about these: they're illegal and uninsured for passengers, and a TfL sticker in the window doesn't change that.
Staying safe in London
- Meet inside the bar, not outside a station. You'll find each other easily and you won't be standing alone on a pavement staring at your phone.
- Plan your own way home and stick to it. If your date offers to share a cab, it's fine to say no.
- TfL has an online licence checker for minicab drivers, vehicles and operators if you want to check a firm before you book.
- In an emergency, call 999. Anything else that happens on the network can be reported to TfL online.
- Buy your own drinks and keep your glass with you. Busy places are good for safety, but they're also where things go unnoticed.
The full list is in our first-date safety checklist.
Get the UK first-date safety checklist
A one-page checklist for the night before, sent to your inbox. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
First dates in London: questions
Does the Night Tube run every night?
No. It runs on Friday and Saturday nights only, on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines, with the Windrush line also running a night service. On other nights, night buses fill the gap.
Can I flag down a minicab in London?
No. Only black cabs can be hailed or taken from a rank. Minicabs have to be booked through a licensed operator, and TfL warns that unbooked minicabs are illegal and uninsured for passengers.
Where's a good halfway point for a first date in London?
Somewhere on a line you both use. Covent Garden, King's Cross and Embankment all have plenty of connections and plenty of busy bars nearby, so neither of you faces a long trip home.