15 January 2026
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What really makes a great restaurant for a date? While there are a lot of people who still enjoy tradition and candlelight, there are many who’d rather be anywhere else. If you’re one of the latter, this is the list for you. These are the brilliant restaurants with MICHELIN-worthy cooking that have been unfairly overlooked for date night. Loud restaurants, stripped-back restaurants, grungy restaurants, restaurants that aren’t restaurants at all. But for the right person, each one will be absolutely perfect.
1. Kricket: The Sharing Test
Nothing reveals character quite like a person’s willingness or reluctance to share their dinner, making a meal at one of London’s many brilliant small-plates restaurants an ideal test of your compatibility. Kricket is one of the best in the business, a buzzy, affordable spot in the heart of Soho. The Indian dishes are so moreish that you’ll be struggling to seem generous while eyeing up the last of the Kerala fried chicken or samphire pakora. When you’ve finished eating, continue the date in the downstairs speakeasy bar, SOMA.
2. Kinkally: The Fun Night Out with a Bar Attached
If you want your date to feel more like a night out and less like a business interview, you want to go somewhere like Kinkally. First and foremost, that’s because it has a cocktail den downstairs – cheekily named Bar Kinky – so you can make the date last longer and soak up the party atmosphere on a busy Friday night. Plus, the Georgian cuisine is both different and delicious, offering an alternative to yet another French restaurant. Look out for the near-namesake khinkali in particular – flavour-packed dumplings with a variety of fillings.
3. Brutto: The Taste of an Italian Home
When a restaurant’s name translates as ‘ugly’, it’s rarely going to be at the top of the list for wooing your sweetheart. But once you’ve convinced your date it’s not a reflection on them, you’re bound to have a wonderful time. The homely interior is styled on a Tuscan trattoria and the food is so hearty and delicious it would warm the most cynical of hearts. It’s also wonderfully relaxed and instantly puts you at ease, making it the ideal alternative for Italian-food lovers who can’t get on board with excessive formality.
4. The Hero: If in Doubt, Go to the Pub
For those who sometimes feel overwhelmed, intimidated or uncomfortable in formal or traditional settings, then date night in a pub is ideal. The relaxed, welcoming environment puts people at ease and the gentle buzz in the background will add to the electricity between you. London is packed with pubs, but The Hero has better food than most, with familiar, comforting and heartwarming dishes that won’t let you down. If you’re feeling a bit more old-school, the upstairs dining room is a little more formal.
5. St. JOHN: Fancy Some Bone Marrow?
Bear with us on this one. A first date is not just about discovering whether there’s chemistry – it’s also about finding out if you’re compatible. How excited does your date get about food? How adventurous are they? Will they roll up their sleeves and get stuck into big, hearty dishes? A meal at St. JOHN will answer all of those questions in one. If your date takes one look at the menu and isn’t drooling at the prospect of ordering pig’s cheek, ox heart or the signature bone marrow, then you know this will end up as two dates in one: your first and your last.After something more traditional? Check out our list of London's most romantic restaurants.
6. Smokestak: No-Fuss Barbecue Brilliance
Take one look at Smokestak’s heavy black door and it’s not screaming ‘romance’ – even less when you take another look inside and see the equally black interior design and smoke billowing out from the kitchen. But that, for many couples, is why it’s just what they want. It’s a proper no-nonsense restaurant where two people can bin the airs and graces and really get to know each other over some of the best barbecue food in town. What’s more, it’s far more affordable than many of the city’s more picturesque date spots.
7. Trishna: Simply Irresistible Cooking
Great food is sometimes about diving in and glorying in its gorgeousness, not keeping it at arm’s length. So, as an experiment, head to Trishna – the MICHELIN-Starred Indian restaurant in elegant Marylebone – and order the fabulous Dorset Brown Crab, a dish that’s as delicious as it is messy to eat. If you’re both comfortable enough to be furiously licking your lips and having shiny chins, then perhaps you’ve found your soul mate. Nip round the corner afterwards to Daunt Books and start planning your first holiday in the travel section.
8. The Barbary: Sit Side-by-Side at a Counter
While the dates you see on screen usually involve two people sitting opposite each other, gazing longingly into each other’s eyes, counter restaurants can actually be ideal for a romantic rendezvous. For the shyer among us, sitting side-by-side can be a little less intense, while being near an open kitchen is ideal for food enthusiasts. London’s got lots to choose from when it comes to counters and The Barbary is one of the best. Its small size means it still feels intimate, while the North African-inspired dishes make brilliant use of cooking over fire and have a sensible price tag.
9. The Devonshire: The Viral Sensation That Really Delivers
Whether or not you and your (future) partner both want to go on a date to The Devonshire is in itself a great test of compatibility. It’s a viral sensation, beloved by millennial foodies, and if it’s come up in both your Instagram algorithms, then you’re probably on the same wavelength. It’s also incredibly busy (a plus for some, a no-go for others) and is revered for its Guinness – if this is a go-to drink for both of you, then the stars really are aligning. The hearty, grill-based cooking offers serious quality, far better than the fleeting fad some might expect.
10. Naïfs: One for the Herbivores
There are so many reasons Naïfs would not be on people’s immediate radar for a date – but just as many reasons why it’s ideal. For one, it’s 100% plant-based, which may put off stubborn carnivores, yet is perfect for veggie couples looking for their new favourite haunt. It’s also in Peckham, way out of the city centre, which lends it a warm neighbourhood feel that you simply won’t find in Covent Garden or Mayfair. Lastly, it’s got an easygoing simplicity that will calm the nerves – it’s not a place for showing off, but for having a simply lovely time.Related Articles:
Hero Image: The dark, moody dining room at Smokestak, a great alternative date night restaurant in London. © Carol Sachs/Smokestak
