Guys, first of all, Happy New Year! Whoop, whoop! (Honestly, impressed we made it to be honest, 2017 was… well, let’s not discuss it now!) May 2018 be a much-needed colourful spectrum in humanity’s latest adventures. Speaking of adventures, you know what else can be an adventure? Yup, you guessed it, dating! Whether it was your New Year’s resolution or not, we want to help you add a little romance to your lives, so here are our pick of the top 5 date venues you’ll want to hit this year (in no particular order!)…

• All Star Lanes

Who doesn’t love bowling?! It’s one of the go-to ways for people to relax. Face it, if you’ve had a long week, what better way to de-stress than to throw a huge ball at a bunch of pins repeatedly, with each one representing whatever pissed you off that week? Also (on a more positive note) it’s just fun, no matter your skill level (those of you who actually own your own bowling ball and shoes… that is SERIOUS commitment and we all glare at you with envy, every time you get a perfect strike.)

Photo Credit: All Star Lanes © giles Christopher

All Star Lanes is the perfect date venue to chill out and relax. Aside from being the prima place to let your competitive bowling side out, they also offer an extensive menu filled with exquisite cocktails (complete with cocktail bar areas to enjoy them in, pretty fancy indeed!) Plus, if you and your date are at a level where you’re comfortable sharing, they also have cocktails and platters to share (because sharing is caring, guys!) All this takes place under one roof, so you get to play games, eat and drink! Could you ask for more from a date venue?!

Photo Credit: All Star Lanes

Since it’s such a great date venue, they also have great deals on for couples (hey, London ain’t cheap, use all the help you can get!) Some of the deals they have on at the moment include Groundhog Mondays (2 games for £10) Happy Hour and Student Discounts, but our favourite one has to be their Drink, Dine & Bowl offer. The offer, which has started again this week, includes a 2-course meal, cocktails from a set menu and a game of bowling for between £30-£35 pp, depending on the venue. So, all you have to do is a pick from one of their venues and let the good times roll… see what we did there?!

To book in advance, have a look here…

• The Little Shuffle Club

   

Now, now, I know you’re hearing shuffle boarding and you’re thinking ‘grandparents on a retirement cruise’ but, you are mistaken! Firstly, fun knows no age (remember that, people!) and secondly, The Little Shuffle Club is proving that first point eloquently by making table shuffleboards into the new, hip activity you didn’t know you needed, until now.

Photo Credit: The Little Shuffle Club

Anywhere can be a great date venue with the right ingredients, and this place has it sussed. Situated at the heart of all things cool and creative in London (opposite the Box Park and Shoreditch House) The Little Shuffle Club not only offers fun and games, it also offers pizza and craft beer, along with house and weekly guest cocktails. Yum! On top of that, if you want to let your competitive side shine (may as well let your date know what they’re in for) they have tournaments too. It is the perfect date venue to add a little excitement to your night.

Photo Credit: The Little Shuffle Club

They hold one table back for walk ins but, to be on the safe side, here’s where to book…

• The Top Secret Comedy Club

A sign of a great connection with anyone? Laughter, obviously! So, why not try a date venue where you’re guaranteed to have one? The Top Secret Comedy Club is a chilled out, basement bar/club and they are the go-to place for stand-up and improv shows.

Photo Credit: The Top Secret Comedy Club

If you want to prove to your date that you know all the secret hotspots to hit in London, and you want to add a little clandestine mystery to your personality, then this place has that innate quality. Firstly, it’s hidden (ooh, secrets!) below a very nondescript restaurant on Drury Lane and nothing about the restaurant would lead an outsider to even dream about the high level of quality banter going on below the surface. The crowds are always great and enthusiastic too.

We’ll put it this way, if you aren’t crying with laughter by the end of the night, then maybe you misplaced your sense of humour. Not convinced yet? Ok, some of the biggest names in comedy have graced The Top Secret Comedy Club’s stage; from Jason Manford to Jack Whitehall, your comedy favourites are there to make this date venue into a genuine laugh house. Drinks, jokes and your date’s laughter. Is there a better night planned? Before you even think of running off once the show is over, there’s also stuff happening afterwards on special events nights, as well as regular parties.

Intrigued? Book your tickets here…

• The Ghost Bus Tours

Think that ghost tours are just for Halloween? Well then, think again, because getting scared shitless on a date is character building… probably. In the theme of thinking of date venues that are slightly outside the box, the Ghost Bus Tours is just the thing for you, if you like to venture into the world of the weird and wonderful. Also, fear is an emotional state that can tell you a lot about the person you’re with, use it to your advantage! If you want to find out if your date is a brave knight or a badass warrior queen, then you’ve come to the right place, my friends.

Photo Credit: Visit London

A little background, The London Ghost Bus Tour is essentially a sightseeing tour with a theatrical twist, so that you can see the dark underbelly that London has to offer. Upon the bus, you’ll find comedy horror theatre. The bus itself, is a classic 1960s Routemaster, that will take you to see everything from Westminster Abbey to the Tower of London to St Paul’s Cathedral. You’ll find out all about the ghosts, ghouls, murders and executions that London’s history is cemented on. Aside from an creepily awesome night out, you’ll also gain a whole lot of knowledge to casually drop into dinner party conversations, win-win!

Ready to get spooked?! Get your tickets here…

• Flight Club Social Darts

In the mood for fun and games in the style of your favourite characters in all the sitcoms you used to watch growing up? Well then Flight Club Social Darts is the date venue for you. Yes, it seems in every sitcom, at some point, the friends that the show was centred on played darts in a pub and now you can too! No worries if you aren’t a professional at the game, because the concept of social darts has you covered.

Flight Club Darts have pretty much reinvented darts to bring it firmly into the 21^st century with ground-breaking technology and fun video game scoring. In doing so, they’ve made it so that their version of darts can be played, and enjoyed, by anyone and everyone. Worried about your skill level? They’ve thought of that too, as there are three different throwlines to choose from in terms of your skill level.

Photo Credit: Fight Club Social Darts

Aside from being able to show your date your throwing prowess, Flight Club Social Darts is also the home to award winning bars and delicious food. If you’re caught in the middle of an intense game, just use their touchscreen technology to call the host anytime for drinks and snacks. Their intuitive touchscreen technology doesn’t just stop there. You also use it to enter your name and take a selfie to register yourself as a player, as well as to choose a social darts game to play.

Photo Credit: Fight Club Social Darts

In terms of promotions (who doesn’t love a good promotion) they also run a weekly Brunch Social starting at £30 a ticket for a bottle of prosecco, bottomless pizza and a social darts sampler. For smaller groups, they have social roll up every night where guests can put their name down on arrival to play.

If this sounds like your type of night, get your tickets here…

So, there you have it. CLiKD’s top 5 date venues you’ll want to hit this year. Let’s be honest, there’s so much to do in London, why not expand the pool a bit and get creative with your date venue? Your date will appreciate it and that is just the key to getting even more dates with your chosen person in the future 😉