Hey, let’s look on the brightside a little as the days darken. Autumn is perhaps the season for lovers, a time to curl up and cuddle in, get cosy and content with time spent indoors, roll around in scarlet leaves and enjoy that strange seasonal thrill of stepping out in hats and scarves.
As such, never has there been a better time than now to inject some impromptu romance back into your relationship with a seasonally themed date night. If you’re looking for ideas to fuel that sense of spontaneity, then you’ve come to the right place; here are 7 extra special London date night ideas for autumn.
Cook A Romantic Meal Based On The Finest Seasonal Produce
Worried about securing a reservation at the latest hot London restaurant? Concerned about the cost of a cab home? Prefer to gaze into the eyes of your lover rather than into a menu? Well, why not celebrate autumn’s produce by cooking from its seasonal bounty at home?
That sense of place and time will only add to the seductiveness of cooking your partner a meal from scratch, and fortunately, autumn’s bounty is perhaps the most sensual of all, with wild mushrooms, warming spices, aphrodisiacal oysters, pert plums and fabulous figs all at their best right now. What better way to celebrate the changing of the seasons than cooking with them?
Why not head to one of London’s great farmer’s markets with your beau to do the shopping, if you’re keen to prolong your date for the course of a day?
In Borough Market, you’ll find several stalls selling seasonal British produce; Grovers, Ted’s Veg, and Stark’s Fruiterers are perhaps the most well-known. If you’re shopping north of the river, every Sunday between 10am and 2pm, you’ll find farmers markets in Islington, Marylebone, Alexandra Palace and many more locations besides!
Alternatively, and if the Great British weather permits it, of course, you could throw an autumn picnic for your partner in one of London’s fantastic parks – forty-seven per cent of the land is taken up by green spaces, after all – complete with hamper, bubbly and a seasonally-hued picnic rug to cuddle up on once you’re finished eating.
Read: 5 healthy eating tips for an autumn spent indoors
Book A Romantic Restaurant Meal With A Difference
Though you could, of course, book a candlelit meal in one of London’s top restaurants, that’s just so cliched, right?
Instead, another option is to visit one of London’s, aesthetically more unusual restaurants. There are plenty to choose from. A good starting point is this most Instagrammable restaurants in London list which highlights some stunning, conversation-provoking places to eat… Perfect for when you run out of things to talk about, don’t you think?
Read: 5 first date ideas for those who find small talk difficult
Oktoberfest In London
Whether you’re turned on by a partner dressed up in lederhosen, happiest when you’ve got a bratwurst in your hand or you’ve got a particular thing for the reassuring weight of a beer stein, this month sees Octoberfest events happening up and down the country. Could this be the perfect date night for lovers of finger food and frivolous festivities? We certainly think so.
Check out The List’s extensive directory of the UK’s Oktoberfest events here to find a venue near you, which includes a particularly renowned and raucous event in Camden!
London On High
London’s skyline looks spectacular as the sun sets over it, or when it is lit up at night. It’s also a hugely romantic view to take in, whether you’re having a drink in one of the city’s rooftop bars, going up in the London Eye, climbing up Primrose Hill or visiting Alexandra Palace.
From any one of these urban vantage points – as well the ones mentioned here – you can enjoy spectacular views of the London skyline with your date, whether it’s your first together or your five-hundredth. Just remember to pack a jacket or two; London autumn nights spent al fresco can get a little chilly!
Play Dress Up For Halloween
If you and your partner are always on the lookout for excuses to get dressed up, then October heralds the ultimate occasion to just that; Halloween. Whether you choose to get kitted out in skeleton ensembles for a night at home spent apple bobbing, or you hit the streets to go trick or treating, this spooky celebration is the perfect excuse for a little role play.
Some of London’s best fancy dress shops include Beyond Retro on Brick Lane, Carnival Store in West Kensginton, and Costume Boutique on Ladbroke Grove.
Go Pumpkin Picking
If you’re looking for a date that takes place in daytime hours, then pumpkin picking makes for a beautifully autumnal-appropriate date, however cliched it might feel.
London has plenty of pumpkin patches currently open for a day of facilitated foraging…and hey, your day’s picking could even be used for that seasonal meal you’re cooking in the evening or Halloween party you’re hosting!
Spend A Night At The Cinema Watching A Scary Movie
If you and your partner are film aficionados who love a trip to the cinema, then Halloween season sees theatres across London showing both classic and newly released horror flicks.
A special mention should go to the Prince Charles Cinema, close to Leicester Square, who go reliably all out for Halloween with their HorrOctober month-long bonanza of all things terrifying; this spooky season is set to be no different!
Or, if you’re keen to travel further afield, then why not check out these 6 IDEAL haunted castles to stay in this Halloween? You won’t regret it! Or, perhaps you will…