23 cheap and free date ideas in London (all £25 or less)

Not much can beat a show at an outdoor amphitheatre in a magical woodland setting for theatre fans. Treat your date to seats during Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s Summer Season – each year it brings a mix of musicals, dance and contemporary shows.

There’s no poor view here and the cheaper tickets near the back (from £15) are arguably our favourite, as they offer a view over the amphitheatre and conjure up the feeling of being among the canopy of trees behind the stage.

For more low-cost theatre, check out these theatre discounts.

Become Groundlings (if not at least darlings), at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre during its famous Summer Season. Running from March until October, the faithful reconstruction of the Bard’s original theatre puts on some of the playwright’s most iconic plays.

In our view, for the full Globe experience, there’s no better place to be than standing as a Groundling… not only are the tickets cheaper (from £5), but you’ll have the quintessential open-air experience and date memories that last a lifetime. We advise getting there early to choose your spot (our favourite is near the front in the middle, but the sides are good if you need something to lean on).

Just be prepared for wet or colder weather, remember sunscreen and a bottle of water – you’ll be standing the whole time, so consider booking seats if that’s not for either of you (the Upper Gallery is the cheapest seating).

See some of the best comedians on the London circuit for less at Top Secret Comedy Club – we love its original venue in Covent Garden, but it also has a not-so-top-secret new outpost around the corner in Kingsway which we’re yet to try.

Treat your date to one of the main shows on Thursdays to Sundays (tickets £10 to £20). Or, for even cheaper entry, visit on a Monday or Wednesday when comedians try out new and experimental material, which is ideal for comedy fans keen to discover new favourites – tickets generally cost £1 to £3 on these nights, but there is the expectation that audience members donate a little more to support the acts.

We strongly recommend booking in advance, as tickets often sell out and may not be available on the door… you don’t want to disappoint your date, do you?!

Best for: Comedy fans
Good to know: If you donate £12 or more, you’ll get a member’s card which allows you to enjoy free or reduced prices from Sunday to Wednesday and half-price entry on Thursdays.

Grab a couple of lounge chairs, put on your wireless headphones (supplied at your seat) and snuggle up for a rom-com or cult classic film together at Rooftop Cinema Club Peckham. Perched on top of the south London neighbourhood’s famous Bussey Building, this is the perfect spot for a film date night with a difference from just £14 per person.

When you fancy a date-night snack or cocktail, just scan the QR code and have it delivered straight to your chair. If you think the date will go well, book a Loveseat for an extra touch of intimacy – these range from £20 to £25 per person, but include prime views, full cushions, popcorn and a shared table.

Best for: Those seeking laid-back date nights
Good to know: There are heaters and blankets to keep you snug, but even in summer it can get a little chilly in the evenings given its rooftop position, so we suggest bringing an extra jumper or coat.

Where better to have quality time together than in one of London’s most enchanting green spaces? Wander hand-in-hand along the Great Broad Walk, pucker up in the palm houses or take in sumptuous autumn colours as part of £25 entry to Kew Gardens.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site has even put together a first-dates trail to help you ramp up the romance. Our top tip is to pack a rug and a picnic and to find a quiet spot in the gardens – our favourite is the Rose Garden, where heavenly scents are sure to leave them in awe. 

Best for: Dates away from the hustle and bustle
Good to know: Make use of off-peak rates (from £17) between 1 November and 31 January for cheaper entry to Kew Gardens.

Enjoy some se-date sightseeing with one of City Cruises trips along the river Thames – giving you a chance to spot riverside landmarks, enjoy time together on the open-air deck and cosy up below with a drink from the cafe-bar.

Book in advance and select your departure pier for a single (from £15) or return trip (from £21). Then just sit back, listen to the live commentary and make the most of the views.

Best for: First dates for sightseers
Good to know: Boats depart every 20 to 40 minutes, meaning you have the ultimate flexibility for your date – we suggest planning more cheap or free things to do near the departure or arrival pier in advance.

One of the best free things to do in London for couples, Sky Garden boasts epic views of the city, giving you the chance to spot some of London’s most famous landmarks while finding quiet spots among palms, ferns and succulents. We recommend timing your visit for sunset for an extra helping of romance, as the sun goes down and landmarks become silhouettes against the skyline.

If you’re both early birds, book a Sunrise at Sky Garden ticket (£12.95) to enjoy exclusive early access, plus a pastry and hot drink. Flat whites and new heights… the perfect way to start off a weekend date!

Best for: Visitors keen to see London landmarks
Good to know: Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. Make sure to arrive ahead of your time slot, as the queue can often be long at peak periods.

The perfect place for a quiet date, Kyoto Garden gives a little glimpse of East Asia in west London. Set within Holland Park, this free-to-enter Japanese-style oasis features cascading waterfalls, woodland gardens and koi-filled ponds.

Although it’s pretty at any time of the year, we recommend the gardens for a spring date, when cherry blossom and azaleas are in full bloom, or in autumn when maples provide a colourful backdrop.

Best for: Quiet dates
Good to know: If you fancy a bite to eat, head to nearby Daisy Green. This Aussie-style eatery is perfect for brunch, lunch, cakes or coffee and is set within charming arches overlooking a courtyard. Nearly all dishes come in at under £20. Don’t miss their Lamingtons, a traditional cake from Australia, for £6 each.

Lose yourselves for an hour at one of Lightroom’s immersive shows – the perfect way to experience memorable moments together for £25 each. Shows here have included a dive into the world of Vogue, life-sized dinosaur recreations, Tom Hanks’ moon-landing-themed experience and a look at David Bowie’s life and career – each display uses stunning state-of-the-art visuals on its large-scale screens.

Our top tip is to bag one of the benches on the floor area – ideally one that seats two, as three is a crowd! We feel this gives the best views and feeling of total immersion while you can also cosy up together discreetly.

Best for: Pop culture fans
Good to know: Each show lasts around one hour but is on a loop – there’s no time limit to your ticket, so you can stay longer to re-watch parts you love the most.

If you think you’ve found your very own Mr. Darcy or Elizabeth Bennet, why not take them to The Jane Austen Experience? Dedicated to one of the world’s most treasured romantic novelists, this museum focuses on Austen’s time in London – visiting her brother, attending theatres, perusing bookshops and more.

We recommend showing off your fun side by interacting with actors, playing Regency-themed games and even dressing up in period accessories in the Regency Dressing Room. Try writing each other a note using quill pens and don’t forget to have your pictures taken with Jane Austen’s waxwork as a memento of your date.

Best for: Literature lovers
Good to know: There’s a well-stocked gift shop on the ground floor full of Austen-themed items and Regency souvenirs – maybe the ideal chance to impress with a small, but special gift? We suggest the Mr. Darcy or Jane Austen rubber duck, dressed in Regency-style finery.

One of our favourite free-to-enter art galleries in London, the Wallace Collection has an intimacy that’s perfect for dates. With fewer crowds, you can take your time to marvel at artworks from the 14th to the 19th century, as well as armour and decorative objects, and discuss your favourites – if you want to know, ours are Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s saucy picture The Swing and Frans Hals’ intriguing portrait The Laughing Cavalier.

What we love just as much as the exhibits is the cafe housed in the courtyard. The light-filled space is the perfect spot to linger over lunch, grab coffee and cake together, or plan your next adventures.

Best for: Free dates in London for art aficionados
Good to know: The gallery’s permanent collection is free to enter, but its temporary exhibitions usually require a paid-for ticket.

Although this immersive art experience is a great date idea any time of the week, FRAMELESS's Lates events are perfect cheap date night ideas in London on Fridays and Saturday evenings. Open to over-18s only, they’re a great way to show off your love of art in more laid-back surrounds than a gallery.

Grab a cocktail and enjoy the vibes from the Soho Radio playlist as you become immersed within famous paintings… Among our favourite moments here are being almost swept away by Rembrandt’s Christ in the Storm on taking a romantic stroll through Van Gogh’s Starry Night over the Rhine.

Best for: First dates for artsy types
Good to know: Book in advance to secure £20 tickets (otherwise you pay £25 on the door).

Find more Lates events in London’s museums and galleries.

Have your dates so far shown you fit each other to a tee? Take them to Swingers, where you can test their competitive spirit with a round of fun-filled crazy golf in a 1920s seaside-themed setting – we guarantee it's sure to be more of a birdie than a bogey.

You can just play golf (from £12 during daytimes and £16 during evenings), but we recommend booking the Swingers Experience (from £21 during evenings), which includes 30 minutes of retro carnival games alongside a round of crazy golf.

Best for: Dates for competitive types
Good to know: Make a whole night of it with cocktails and street food provided from some of London’s popular specialists.

Are you both fans of old-school arcades? Then, Four Quarters is sure to be a hit with its retro games from the 1980s to the 2000s. Just buy American quarters at the bar (£2.50 for four quarters and £10 for 18 quarters) – and maybe a cocktail too – and go and get all nostalgic with favourite games from your childhood.

Whether testing your skills with greats such as Space Invaders and Pac Man, or showing off your musical talents with Guitar Hero, your first-date nerves will soon go as you compete against each other or work together to beat the high scores.

Best for: Cheap first date ideas
Good to know: You can also book console booths (from £6 per booth) to have some space to yourself and try retro consoles such as SNES and XBOX.

Discover more activity bars in London.

Nothing ramps up the romance quite like candlelight, so head to Dennis Severs’ House for its Silent Night events on specific evenings (£25 per person plus a small booking fee). Smell perfume and cloves as your senses are heightened in the darkened rooms, with only candles to guide your exploration.

We guarantee you’ll have plenty to talk about after visiting this unique house designed by Severs, who based it on the home of an imaginary Huguenot family. This time warp of a place is decorated exactly how the family would have left it, as if they simply vanished, with unmade beds, unfinished food and tables set ready for dinner.  

Best for: Atmospheric dates for art and design lovers
Good to know: If you’re keen to save a few pounds, you can visit during the day (£16 per ticket) … You’ll not have candlelight, but you can quietly discuss the decor as you explore.

Hidden in a basement of The Last Tuesday Society, The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art and Unnatural History is packed floor-to-ceiling with taxidermy, folklore artefacts, occult objects and unusual artwork displayed in chaotic Victorian-style fashion.

Among our highlights is a cabinet of monsters featuring a two-headed kitten skeleton, an eight-legged lamb, a mermaid skeleton and the leg bone of an Irish giant. Also keep an eye out for a preserved mouse floating inside an olive martini glass, shrunken heads and fragments of dodo bones… conjuring up a strange yet fascinating atmosphere for a quirky London date!

Best for: Cheap things to do in London for couples with a morbid sense of fun
Good to know: After being, quite frankly “weirded out”, head upstairs to calm your nerves with the Victorian-style absinthe parlour, where you can try the infamous “green fairy” spirit in a dimly lit setting. We recommend booking absinthe tasting in advance, as the bar is small, and reservations often include discounted museum entry.

If you’re planning for future dates, keep an eye out for the Barbican Conservatory’s free open days. Generally open on specific Saturdays and Sundays, this glasshouse built within the Barbican’s brutalist structure is a real hidden gem full of tropical plants, ponds and high-level walkways.

Spend time relaxing with your beau for some relaxed “us time” away from it all. There’s a cafe-bar within the conservatory, so grab a drink and find a quiet corner to spend some quality time together.

Best for: Relaxed dates for plant lovers
Good to know: Tickets to visit the conservatory are released one month in advance on the Barbican’s website.

The food of love, oysters have long been held as a delicacy and romantic treat due to their supposed aphrodisiac qualities but, let’s face it, they often blow the budget. Here’s where seafood specialists Wright Bros. come in, with their £1 oysters during specific hours.

We especially love their outpost at Battersea Power Station, where we like to grab a spot on the terrace overlooking the river – you can enjoy the Pound a Pop Oysters here on weekdays from 3pm to 6pm and Sundays from 6pm to 9pm. If your date is fine with heights, we suggest also booking the Chimney Lift (from £17) for epic views along the Thames and beyond.

Best for: Seafood lovers
Good to know: The timings for Pound a Pop Oysters varies depending on the location, so double-check on the restaurant’s official website before you go.

On a first date, but you have no idea what they like to eat? Head to one of London’s food halls where stalls selling all sorts of worldwide treats await – there’s bound to be something to tempt their taste buds. Among the most romantic, in our opinion, is Mercato Mayfair – which is housed in a Grade-I listed church in swish Mayfair, with a bar behind the altar and stunning stained-glass windows lighting the vast space.

Most main dishes here are in the £10-20 range… our top tip is Steamy & Co’s dumplings, which come in at £8.35 to £10 for four to six dumplings – ideal for sharing! It can be quite noisy with the bustle of diners and music on the ground floor, so head to the first-floor gallery for a more intimate spot overlooking diners below, or up to the terrace, which is the perfect place to ask those burning questions.

Best for: First dates when you don’t know their tastes
Good to know: For even more fun, look out for events in the vaulted crypt, which range from discounted wine evenings to vinyl listening events and workshops.

Perched above the river on the banks of the Thames, Rick Stein Barnes is a low-key romantic spot in south-west London from the celebrity chef. Watch rowers glide past on the river and Barnes locals walking along the towpath (we once spotted a pig being walked on a lead!) at this well-heeled spot in south-west London.

The vibe here is classy but casual and it’s a great place to impress for less with its set menus. Sit down to its two-course lunch or dinner menu for £24.95 on Mondays to Thursdays featuring the likes coconut prawns, ballotine of cod and profiteroles.

Best for: Classy meals for savvy diners
Good to know: If your date is a nature lover, treat them to a visit to WWT London Wetland Centre nearby (tickets from £18.85). Cosy up in a hide and keep a lookout for migrating birds, say hello to the otters, or explore ponds for dragonflies and water voles at this oasis spread across 100 acres (40 hectares).

Relive moments from the famous rom-com, Notting Hill, in this pretty west London neighbourhood. Seek out film locations from the movie, which charts the burgeoning romance between William Thacker (played by Hugh Grant) and Anna Grant (Julia Roberts), such as their first meeting point within Notting Hill Bookshop (13 Blenheim Crescent) and pose together at the famous blue door to William’s flat (280 Westbourne Park Road). Or, learn fun facts and explore even more film locations on a guided walking tour of Notting Hill for just £17.

Our other top tips for date spots include a coffee at the quirky Biscuiteers Café and cosy Little Yellow Door (6-8 All Saints Road), a bar themed on a flat share, which is ideal for relaxed first dates and has £5 drinks deals on Wednesday and Friday evenings. Come summer, we love tasty Thai dishes (mains around £14) at stunning The Churchill Arms (119 Kensington Church Street) with its hanging baskets overflowing with blooms.

Best for: Film fans
Good to know: Portobello Road Market runs through the heart of Notting Hill and is a great place to pick up bargain knick-knacks – the best time to visit is on Saturdays when all stalls are open. We especially love to pick up one of Chai Guys’ light and fluffy cardamom buns (just let your nose lead you) and marsala chai as we browse.

Named after the Italian “City of Canals”, thanks to its location where the Grand Union and Regent’s Canals meet, Little Venice is one of London’s most romantic areas. It’s the perfect place for some daytime exploration together.

Stick with the Italian theme at Café Laville (453 Edgware Road) – grab a spot by the window to gaze along the canal and enjoy all-day dishes, which all come in under £20 (we tucked into the generous Eggs Benedict on our last visit). Or grab a sandwich or wrap for under £10 at the Waterside Café (Warwick Crescent) in a converted narrowboat – we love this cosy space, especially the intimate tables in the bow of the boat, which is perfect for a cosy up.

From here, take a stroll together along the Regent’s Canal or board Jason’s Trip (Opposite 42 Blomfield Road) narrowboat tour (£19) to Camden – we love this historical 45-minute cruise, which is full of fun and interesting facts about the origins and daily life of the canal. 

Best for: Daytime dates for curious explorers
Good to know: If your date is in the evening, head to the Canal Café Theatre (Delamere Terrace), where tickets for most performances are £20 or less. Expect everything from comedy and cabaret to powerful plays.

Meander your way through one of London’s loveliest locations, Hampstead, known for its connections to romantic poets, a quaint village atmosphere and green spaces.

For first dates, why not enjoy a meal at a characterful pub: The Holly Bush and The Spaniards Inn are hits with locals and visitors alike – we suggest a Sunday lunch date for a proper roast. Or, why not head to Keats House (entry £10.30) – where literary lovers will enjoy getting acquainted through the prose of romantic poet John Keats. Or climb Parliament Hill to gaze across London’s skyline, the ideal spot for a sunset schmooze.

If you’ve already got to know each other well enough to flash a little flesh, head to the bathing ponds on Hampstead Heath for some wild swimming – in our view, one of London’s most liberating experiences.

Best for: Outdoorsy types and pub dates
Good to know: Expect to do a fair amount of walking if you want to cover off the village, pubs, attractions and the Heath – so, wear sturdy footwear.