In London, you’d be hard pushed to find something more romantic than a stroll along the South Bank. Just approaching dusk, someone playing a saxophone, reflections of the fairy lights in the trees glistening in the Thames.
Aah.
Beautiful.
Just you and every other couple in London.
But you’re unique, you don’t want to follow the crowd, you want to do something different! So, let’s ditch the rest of these couples and for one night (or blog post) only, let me be your dating guru and help you find the perfect creative date night in London.
Why not start with a stroll around Borough Market
I know what you’re thinking, it’s just as much of a cliche as the South Bank but bear with...
If you’re real foodies, you could book yourself on a guided tour or watch one of the cookery demonstrations, if not, just enjoy the walk and maybe have a little sample (or lots of samples) of something along the way!
A couple of stalls you should definitely not miss are Artisan Du Chocolat, which sells bags of misfit chocolates for £2.50 and New Forest Cider which sells warm spiced cider in the winter, delish.
If you’re feeling fancy, you could mooch on over to Whiskey Ginger a gorgeous cocktail bar with over 50 specialist whiskies (!!) or if you’re after something more casual, head to The George Inn. This National Trust owned coaching inn is one of London’s oldest pubs. It’s a little bit of a maze inside with lots of interconnecting rooms and multiple bars - perfect for getting lost in! It’s super cosy, perfect for those winter evenings and you can get a pint, get cosy and get to know each other.
One to keep in mind for the summer months is The Scoop at More London Place.
It’s an al fresco amphitheatre which has loads of free events like live music, theatre and film screenings.
There is a downside... it’s always swarming with tourists but you can’t really blame them – it’s a gorgeous place to hang out with its fantastic views of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.
If you want to avoid the tourists, and favour something a bit more chilled, why not head on over to our place?! At M.Y.O we host a bunch of creative classes, and it’s such a good way to get to know someone. If you ever get stuck for conversation, the creative activity is your talking point! We’ve hosted everything from first dates to anniversaries ( Decoupage class for a 1st Paper Anniversary and a Tshirt Class for a 2nd Cotton Anniversary!). We even featured on Celebs Go Dating! The sessions are chilled and cosy AND you can bring a bottle of something to help ease those date night nerves!
If you cant decide, why not try our Bring Prosecco and Paint Ceramics on Valentines Day?
If post workshop, you’re not ready for the night to end, Flat Iron Square is a short walk away.
Full of bars, food vendors, restaurants, and street food trucks, it’s super casual but totally vibrant! Keep an eye on their website because they also host special events such as DJ’s, live music, poetry and even quizzes in the run up to Christmas!
If it’s going well, you could even pick up some food for breakfast! *wink wink*
So far, we’ve been stuck in Borough - which is lovely!
But maybe you’re looking for something a little bit different. Something slightly further south.
FEAR NOT!
We have another studio in the super cool Peckham Levels where you can eat drink and even play crazy golf!
Start your night in our studio, bring a bottle of something to share and get creative.
In the run up to Christmas, when everybody’s feeling super festive and romantic, why not book yourselves on to one of our creative christmas workshops. Choose from wreath making, christmas crackers, decorations, cards or you can even pimp your own christmas jumper!
If you fancy something more EXTRA - we’re thrilled to be hosting not one, but two Christmas Extravaganzas this year in our Peckham studio!
It'll be super fun, you'll learn some nifty DIY creative techniques, see wonderful poetry and music performances and you'll leave with some Christmas goodies to proudly gift or display. Who knows, we might even hang some mistletoe for you!
The live performances will be Lord Hicks with some musical comedy (Edinburgh Fringe, The Pleasance), Georgie Jones (yep thats me) with spoken word poetry (Edinburgh Fringe, The Roundhouse, Just These, Please) and Martha Paton with some acoustic songs to top off the night with a cheer!
After the extravaganza, why don’t you head up to Level 6 and and revel on a whole new level in Near and Far The bar that brings a touch of Palm Springs to Peckham Levels with their cocktail bar, – named BEST NEW VENUE IN PECKHAM 2017/2018 in the Designmynight Awards.
Join them for the quirkiest drinks, DJs Wednesday to Sunday, and the most incredible views of the London skyline. You can’t get much more romantic than that, can you.
by Georgie Jones