It’s Christmas Date Spots time!

As soon as the clocks back and we are plunged into wintery darkness, the Big Smoke is transformed into a utopia of ice rinks, glittering lights and massive pine trees springing up hither and yon before Londoners’ very eyes. And when you’re feeling loved up, nothing says festive romance more than exploring the best Christmassy date spots across the capital, whilst hand-in-hand with your date. Here are 7 of our favourites!

1) Festive afternoon tea

Take the slightly pompous air out of this traditionally formal British tradition by taking your date to the Reform Social & Grill in the Mandeville Hotel, Marylebone. Relax over a wide selection of teas, assorted sandwiches and, of course, mulled wine. If you’re still feeling peckish, delve into the variety of festive treats on offer, including Dundee Christmas cake, yule log, Santa’s shortbread and brandy mince pies.

The bar itself has a laid-back, friendly vibe, with a smart interior design based on the gents’ members clubs of yesteryear — but without any of the snootiness. Enjoy a classically British Christmas date — just don’t hog the mince pies.

2) Go oriental

A festive foodie date doesn’t have to be all about the sprouts, turkey and Yorkshires. Shoreditch pop-up party experts Night Tales are hosting Tokyo Nights throughout December, so why not indulge your date with some sushi and sake? Browse a wide range of street food vendors dishing up traditional Japanese fare, as well as 4 bespoke bars serving funky rice wine, authentic Tokyo beers, exotic cocktails and spicy mulled cider.

Get cosy in a booth and experience a 5-course Japanese tasting menu at the supper club, or hit the dance floor, throwing shapes to Japanese house music way into the small hours. There’s even an after-party until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays! Be quick, though — entrance is free but on a first-come-first-served basis, unless you order a queue-jump ticket online.

3) Christmassy singalongs

The Piano Works in Farringdon is a whole barrel of fun, with schmaltzy cocktails, warm retro lighting and a live pianist and singer playing requests all night long. And trust us — when every person in the bar is in full swing and you and your date find yourselves in the midst of a bona fide singalong, you’ll wonder why every night at the pub doesn’t end like this!

And if that wasn’t enough for the bah-humbug readers out there, The Piano Works have really upped their game during the festive season, with a 3-course feast and superb drinks deals on offer. Whatever your date’s favourite Christmastime ballad, have it performed live in front of their very eyes whilst the two of you get to know each other a whole lot better in a cosy corner with turkey, trimmings and prosecco… so much prosecco.

4) Ski trip vibes

Come in from the cold, brush off the snow and warm your bones. The Sky Bar at the Courthouse Hotel will give you instant ski lodge nostalgia, decked out as it is in the style of a wooden chalet. This rooftop masterpiece boasts incredible views over London’s West End and is just moments from Carnaby Street, making it absolutely perfect for a loved-up snowy day of Christmas shopping and gazing warmly at the lights of Oxford Street.

Go the Sky Bar at the Courthouse Hotel for the stunning panoramic views, sure — but stay for the themed cocktails. After a couple of mint hot chocolates with peppermint schnapps, you’ll almost start to believe you really are in Aspen.

5) Christmas, cocktails and crazy golf

Who ever said you couldn’t combine a game of balance and perspective with a funky menu of festive beverages? Not the creators of Birdies pop-up golf course, anyway. As a December exclusive, these guys have transformed the labyrinthine maze beneath Waterloo Station into a 9-hole crazy golf course, complete with ridiculous challenges, a fake lawn and an unmissable cocktail bar. If your date appreciates a good bit of wordplay, be sure to purchase them a Golfbuster (vodka, spiced fruit and marshmallow garnish) or a cunningly monikered Tiger’s Wood (old-fashioned).

Throw into the craziness a couple of DJs playing classic Christmas tunes and food pop-ups purveying thoroughly filling festive fare and you’ve got yourself one heck of a raucous date — and one protected from the elements, too. So grab your 9-iron, dust off your ironically garish golf wear from last year’s work outing and score a hole in one with your date!

6) Old-fashioned German market datin’

What says Christmas more than an overflowing tankard of beer, a humungous bratwurst and a festively decorated heart-shaped gingerbread you can scarcely make room in your belly for?

The German Christmas market slap-bang in the centre of Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland runs until early January, giving you plenty of time to grab your date’s hand and fall through time and space to a land of Bavarian hog roasts, zealously dusted cinnamon crêpes and orgeously adorned wooden chalets emanating the inimitably rich aroma of mulled wine. Be sure to stick around after dark for when the carol singers come out of the woodwork.

7) “Christmas time, mistletoe and rum…”

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas for you and your date? Well stop right there and think black. Kraken Black Spiced Rum have launched a quaint little shop purveying — wait for it — black pine trees (yeah, we didn’t know they were a thing either). It’s a black kind of Christmas in this little old emporium: black wreaths, black mistletoe and… poinsettia. (That’s a red plant. Okay, so maybe there’s a dash of colour here and there.)

There is, of course, a cute bar within. Think Ink Pines will be serving up some seriously delicious cocktails — all based around Kraken’s star rum, of course. Get festive and merry with a Black Espresso, a heady mix of rum, coffee and white chocolate shavings, or perhaps a Squid Bite, a genius concoction of rum, cinnamon and mulled wine. For the ultimate Kraken experience, be sure to grab a final beverage before heading home with your tree in one hand and your date in the other: the Old Kraken, an aromatic, bitter liqueur with a zesty orange twist, served up in a jar. Because what’s Christmas without at least one drink imbibed from a piece of non-traditional glassware?

Are you looking for love this Christmas?

For many people, Christmas is a time of sharing, togetherness and fun with loved ones. If you’re single and looking for some festive datin’ all of your own, why not get in touch with Maclynn (formerly Vida) today? We are a multi-award-winning elite international dating agency with an enviable network of some of the world’s most exceptional singletons. Get in touch today and let’s get you on the path to clinching that kiss beneath the mistletoe. (Just make sure you’re rocking your golf apparel first, though.)