BarChick's guide to London's best dating bar crawls

Say cheers to romance on the best dating crawls in the capital
Love is in the air: forget awkward taxi rides and shake things up a bit (Picture: Getty)
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Barchick22 August 2014

You're in the middle of a hot date and you've just jumped into a cab together to find a new venue. But since you don’t know each other that well yet, things are a bit awkward.

So let’s forget awkward taxi rides and shake things up a bit. The BarChick team has been trailing London to find the best dating crawls and has come up with something for every sort of romance: the cocktail lovers, the foodies, those who fancy a bit of vintage (wines, that is) and budding acrobats.

Let the dating commence.


The Tinder date

Chat rooms are so Nineties. These days if you’re in the market to meet, Tinder will deliver. It’s time to see if the face matches up to those profile pictures; hit these failsafe east-side spots for the first date:

Ruby's

BarChick lures the boys here to dabble in a touch of one-on-one; perfect for the “getting to know you” chat. Find the unmarked door and tumble down steep stairs into this mysterious lair; lights are low and seats are close. For better or worse you’re about to get acquainted.

76 Stoke Newington Road, N16, rubysdalston.com

Dukes

BBQ vibes and a killer beer list, what could be sexier? In the words of Monroe, if they can’t handle you at your worst — sucking ribs in this case — then they sure as hell don’t deserve you at your best, right?

33 Downham Road, N1, dukesbrewandque.com

The King’s Head

This unsung hero is nightcap heaven. The taxidermy alone will make it worthwhile. Not into your date? Ditch them on the dance-floor. Loving it? Go get loose in the butterfly room.

257 Kingsland Road, E2, thekingshead-london.com


The foodie crawl

The key to a man’s (and BarChick’s) heart is through his stomach, so for the hot date hop between these spots for some of the best bites in Soho. Sharing is caring, after all.

Barrafina

This legendary Soho hangout has been one of BarChick’s favourites since, like, for ever. Come early or get in line (sherry in hand). It’s worth it for amazing seafood and Spanish tapas. Sit on the side street and do some awesome people-watching.

Barrafina, 54 Frith Street, W1, barrafina.co.uk

Blanchette

The French know how to do romance, so come here for relaxed food à la Français. Sit up at the bar — but mind your date doesn’t fall for one of the three brothers running the place; it’s easily done.

Blanchette, 9 D’Arblay Street, W1, blanchettesoho.co.uk

Dabbous

The restaurant’s waiting list goes on for ever; we say head downstairs to Oskar’s Bar for banging cocktails and proper snacking on crispy boneless chicken wings with a side of aioli.

Dabbous, 39 Whitfield Street, W1, dabbous.co.uk


Wine buff crawl

Want to know if your date knows their chenin blanc from their chardonnay? Well cruise your way around town while boozing on only the finest vintages and nibbling on sexy snacks. Who said romance was dead?

8 Hoxton Square

BarChick loves 10 Greek Street so when it opened a sister venue in Hoxton Square we went straight in. Expect local vibes, an ex-wine merchant owner and a daily changing menu — perfect if you’re packing in a few dates in a row. Find an outside table and get started on the nicely priced wine list.

8 Hoxton Square, N1, 8hoxtonsquare.com

Brawn

Hidden in the famous flower market on Columbia Road, Brawn is BarChick’s best kept dating secret, and a place to work through the endless pages of fine wines, plates of meats and fresh cheeses.

49 Columbia Road, E2, brawn.co

Sager + Wilde

If you missed the when “wine got cool” party, then just head to Sager + Wilde for the catch-up. There’s a great range of affordable and really good wine, while the atmosphere is refreshingly unpretentious and intimate.

193 Hackney Road, E2, sagerandwilde.com

Cocktail buff crawl

London is as famous for its cocktails as it is for its royals. Long gone are the days of terrible Mai Tais and Flaming Sambuccas; this city has turned mixology on its head. Now do the same to your date.

Artesian

There’s a very good reason why this bar keeps winning World’s Best Cocktail Bar. It has an amazing rum collection, delicious champagne and intriguing ways of presenting drinks — musket, horse’s hoof, any vessel might appear. Ask for Simone, he’ll win your date over for you.

The Langham, 1c Portland Place, W1 artesian-bar.co.uk

Coal Vaults

Hidden below Soho, this is dark, cool and understated and the cocktail menu has had a lot of love poured into it. Drinks are filled with unusual ingredients and homemade infusions (including snake infused liquor).

187b Wardour Street, W1, coalvaults.com

Blind Pig

Hidden above Jason Atherton’s restaurant Social Eating House, this bar is classy and the award-winning head bartender, Gareth Evans, is the one to ask for. Classics, hilariously named drinks and bespoke cocktails are the name of the game — a Thermo-Nuclear Daiquiri or a Robin Hood, Quince of Thieves anyone?

58-59 Poland Street, W1, socialeatinghouse.com


The unusual date

Take them somewhere a little different to see how into you they really are!

Cellar Door

Expect transsexuals playing a piano, 15 flavours of snuff and banging cocktails. The acts WILL heckle you and try and embarrass you as much as possible, especially people on dates. Oh, and it’s set in an ex-underground public toilet.

Zero Aldwych, WC2, cellardoor.biz

Circus

Fancy a few acrobatics? At Covent Garden’s cabaret restaurant Circus you can eat from the sharing menu while acrobats and circus acts perform above and around you. Sets a nice bendy tone for the night ahead.

27-29 Endell Street, WC2, circus-london.co.uk

Garlic and Shots

The real date test: are you brave enough to dive head first into some garlic? With more than 100 shots on offer and even a beer made with puréed garlic, it has to be the real deal if you’re still set on kissing later.

14 Frith Street, W1, garlicandshots.com

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