Date ideas in London: 17 ideas by mood, weather and budget

• Budgetfree
• Best forfirst date
• Time1 to 2 hours
• WhereWestminster Bridge to Tower Bridge

The path along the south side of the Thames is London's best long walk for two. You pass the London Eye, street performers, the second-hand book stalls under Waterloo Bridge, Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe, with something to point at every few minutes. Walking side by side takes the pressure off, and the river does half the talking.

Tip: Meet at Westminster Bridge and walk east. If it's going well, you'll end up near Borough Market and London Bridge, where there are plenty of places to sit down for a drink.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forfirst or second date
• WhereSouthwark, near London Bridge

Borough Market has been feeding Londoners for centuries and today it's a maze of stalls with cheese, bread, street food and sweets. Sharing small bites is a good first date format because you decide together, you swap tastes and nobody is stuck with a three-course dinner if the chemistry isn't there.

Tip: Give each other a small budget and five minutes to buy one thing the other person has to try. Weekends get very busy, so a weekday lunch is calmer.

• Budgetfree
• Best forfirst date, rainy day
• WhereTrafalgar Square

The permanent collection at the National Gallery is free to enter, and it's one of the great art collections in the world. You don't need to see everything. Choose one or two rooms and talk about what you see: art gives you plenty of conversation without the job interview questions.

Tip: Play "which one would you hang at home?" Each of you picks a painting in secret and reveals it at the end. Special exhibitions are usually ticketed, so check the website first.

• Budgetfree
• Best forromantic, evening
• Wherenorth of Regent's Park

The view from the top of Primrose Hill stretches across Regent's Park to the skyline of central London. On a clear evening it's one of the most romantic spots in the city, and it costs nothing. Afterwards, the pastel houses and cafés of Primrose Hill village are a short stroll away.

Tip: Bring a blanket, a flask and something to share. Arrive about half an hour before sunset to get a good spot on the grass.

• Budgetfree entry, booking needed
• Best forsecond date
• Where20 Fenchurch Street, the City

At the top of the "Walkie Talkie" building there's a public garden with floor-to-ceiling windows and terraces looking across the Thames to the Shard and Tower Bridge. Entry is free, but you need a timed ticket from the official website, and popular slots go quickly.

Tip: Book as early as you can and choose an evening slot so you see the lights come on. Bring photo ID. Treat it as part of a bigger evening rather than the whole date.

• Budgetfree
• Best forrelaxed, sunny day
• Timeabout 1 hour
• WhereRegent's Canal

The towpath along the Regent's Canal starts among the houseboats of Little Venice and winds past the edge of Regent's Park and London Zoo to Camden Lock. It's quieter than the streets above and feels like a secret London. In summer, waterbuses also run along this stretch.

Tip: End the walk at Camden Market and let each other choose one street food stall. If you'd rather avoid the crowds, turn off at Regent's Park instead.

• Budgetfree
• Best forthird date, active
• Timehalf a day
• WhereHampstead, north London

Hampstead Heath is wild enough that you forget you're in a capital city. Climb Parliament Hill for a classic view of the skyline, wander through woodland and meadows and end up at Kenwood House on the northern edge. Hardy swimmers know the Heath for its ponds, which are open all year.

Tip: Combine the Heath with a pub lunch in Hampstead village. Bring proper shoes: after rain, the paths get muddy.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forspring, anniversary
• Timehalf a day
• WhereKew, south-west London

The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are a UNESCO World Heritage Site with huge Victorian glasshouses, a treetop walkway and lawns that change with every season. In spring the blossom is spectacular, and the Palm House is a warm escape on a grey day.

Tip: Pack a picnic and plan a few hours. Afterwards, walk along the river towards Richmond for a sunset drink.

• Budgetfree
• Best forrainy day, curious
• WhereExhibition Road

The V&A, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum sit side by side, and their permanent collections are free. Pick one, or do a mini tour: fashion and design at the V&A, then the dinosaurs next door. There's always something absurd or beautiful to laugh about together.

Tip: Set a rule: each person chooses one room the other wouldn't have picked. The V&A's courtyard and café are a lovely place to pause.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forrainy day, architecture fans
• WhereBarbican Centre, the City

Hidden inside the brutalist Barbican estate is a conservatory full of tropical plants, ponds and fish, wrapped around concrete balconies. It feels like a film set and makes a memorable date, especially when the weather outside is miserable.

Tip: The conservatory only opens on certain days and usually needs a booking, so check the Barbican website. Stay for a film or a concert in the same building.

• Budgetmedium to splurge
• Best forthird date, special occasion
• WhereTheatreland, Covent Garden

A show in the West End turns a soggy Saturday afternoon into an occasion. Musicals and plays run for years in London, so there's always something on, and a matinee leaves you the whole evening to talk about it.

Tip: Look for day seats or last-minute offers, and pick something neither of you has seen. Afterwards, wander through Covent Garden's covered market.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forfirst date, cold evening

A good London pub is warm, a little creaky and full of corners where you can actually hear each other. Some historic pubs date back centuries, with low ceilings and open fires. A pint or a glass of wine in a pub is easy to suggest and has no fixed end time, which is exactly what you want on a first date.

Tip: Choose a pub you know so you can tell the story of why you like it. On a weeknight you'll have a better chance of getting the table by the fire.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forsecond or third date
• WhereFrith Street, Soho

Ronnie Scott's has been one of the world's best-known jazz clubs since 1959. The room is dark, red and intimate, and the music fills any pause in conversation. Even if you aren't jazz fans, it's a night that feels special.

Tip: Book ahead for popular nights. Afterwards, a late walk through Soho gives you a natural moment to decide whether the night goes on.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forromantic, evening
• WhereThames piers from Westminster to Greenwich

The commuter river boats double as a cheap sightseeing cruise. Ride east past the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's and Tower Bridge as the lights come on, then hop off in Greenwich. It's public transport, but it doesn't feel like it.

Tip: Sit outside at the back if the weather allows. In Greenwich, walk up to the Royal Observatory for a view back over Canary Wharf.

• Budgetlow
• Best forrelaxed, weekend
• WhereColumbia Road, east London

On Sundays, the Columbia Road Flower Market fills a small East End street with flowers, plants and traders calling out their bargains. It's colorful, loud in a cheerful way and over by early afternoon, which makes it the perfect start to a lazy Sunday together.

Tip: Go early and bring cash, as some stalls only take cash. Buy each other one small plant as a souvenir of the date.

• Budgetfree
• Best forday date, any season
• WhereGreenwich, south-east London

Climb the hill in Greenwich Park for one of the best views in London, across the Queen's House and the river to Canary Wharf. Stand with one foot in each hemisphere near the Royal Observatory and wander down to Greenwich Market afterwards.

Tip: Make it a journey: take the river boat there and the cable car or DLR back. The foot tunnel under the Thames is a fun detour too.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forwinter, cozy
• WhereSomerset House, Hyde Park, Kew

In winter, an ice rink usually appears in the courtyard of Somerset House, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland usually runs from late November into early January, and Kew Gardens usually hosts an illuminated evening trail. Holding hands on the ice has a built-in excuse, and a hot drink afterwards is part of the plan.

Tip: Book skating slots ahead, especially near Christmas. A free alternative: walk from Covent Garden to Regent Street and Carnaby Street to see the Christmas lights.