With the price of just about everything on the up at the moment, sometimes you have to be smarter and more creative when it comes to your date ideas. Yes, we all love a fancy meal and a decent bottle of wine, but in London there are plenty of cheaper ways to have a good time.
So, what are the best cheap and romantic date ideas in London? From a cosy night in to some of the city’s best bike rides, here’s how you can woo your long-term partner or someone new without blowing your budget.
Six affordable date ideas in London
1. Enjoy a date night in
Not another night in - you may think - but at Quintain Living apartments in Wembley Park, you can enjoy a date night with a difference. Whether it’s the Scandi-inspired Landsby, the New York loft-style apartments in Ferrum, the Urban country oasis in Canada Gardens or the nature-inspired Montana and Dakota, all our apartments are beautifully designed, stylish and comfortable. Whether you get out the board games or the wine and cheese, many of our apartments have floor-to-ceiling windows and stunning views over the city, so you can relax and have a great time.
At Quintain Living, you also get access to a whole host of specially designed spaces that you can enjoy together. For example, the Alameda building has its own outdoor five-metre rooftop cinema screen where you can watch a film under West London’s moonlit skies. There are also rooftop barbecue spaces, beautiful gardens for picnics and resident events like cocktail evenings and quizzes.
2. Explore London’s markets
Whether you’re looking for restaurant quality food without the high prices or want to browse everything from modern art to vintage clothes, you’re sure to find plenty to do at London’s fantastic markets. West London’s Portobello Market is a great place to start. You can people-watch and soak up the atmosphere at London’s oldest market. It’s particularly famous for its antiques, but it also has everything from vintage clothes to bric-a-brac and music.
Once you’ve got peckish, you could head to Borough Market for tasty cheap eats. There’s an amazing array of street food on offer as well as a dedicated covered area to chow down in. There are also loads of specialist ingredients and fresh produce that you can take back to your apartment for a romantic dinner.
For a cheap date in London with a difference, get up early on Sunday morning - it won’t hurt you just once - and head down to the Columbia Road Flower Market. You’ll find a street bursting with life and colour, with gorgeous cut flowers, shrubs, trees and bulbs of just about every kind on offer. There are also some fantastic delis, cafes, independent restaurants, antique shops and galleries to enjoy. Be warned, it does get busy, but this flower lover’s paradise is well worth the effort.
3. Go for a romantic walk and coffee date
The beauty of living in Wembley Park is that you’re close enough to Central London - just a 12-minute trip on the tube - to enjoy all the attractions, but also far enough away to benefit from some fantastic parks and green spaces. If you want to save a bit of money, then an affordable date idea is to explore the nearby Fryent Country Park - a sprawling park with 103 hectares of rolling fields and small woods. It’s just a 1.3-mile walk from our Wembley Park apartments or you can get the bus there in 15 minutes. Here are a few other nearby parks and green spaces that are well worth a visit.
Once you’ve finished your romantic stroll, you won’t have to go far in search of coffee and cake. Wembley Park has some fantastic bakeries and coffee shops, from Black Sheep and Boki Coffee to the flaky pastries, gorgeous sourdough bread and world-famous filled doughnuts at Bread Ahead.
4. Visit London’s art galleries and museums
With fascinating pieces to inspire conversation and the guarantee that you’ll actually be able to hear what your partner has to say, London’s art galleries and museums can make for the perfect cheap date.
If art’s your thing, then the Saatchi Gallery, the Tate Modern and The National Gallery are all solid picks. The Serpentine Galleries, which sit in the middle of Hyde Park, are also an excellent choice, as you can bookend the culture with a romantic stroll through one of London’s finest green spaces.
If museums are more your cup of tea, the art and design at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the eclectic British Museum and the Museum of London Docklands are also well worth a trip.
5. Cycle your way around London
A bike ride around the city can provide a beautiful backdrop for a romantic adventure. There’s low-cost bike hire available all over the city and plenty of picturesque and safe bike routes in West London.
Looping around the 2,500-acre Richmond Park is the Tamsin Trail, a 7.5-mile leafy circuit of gravel and tarmac that’s suitable for riders of every fitness level. As you circle the park, you’ll pass by a woodland garden with beautiful seasonal flowers, a grade-II listed Georgian mansion and deer grazing in the park’s meadows. There’s also a tremendous hilltop view of St Paul’s Cathedral that’s the perfect spot for a romantic picnic.
Another beautiful ride is to start at Westminster Pier, right in front of Big Ben, and head west, following the Thames as you go. You’ll pass by some of the finest landmarks in London, including the Palace of Westminster, Tate Britain and Battersea Power Station. Once you reach Wandsworth Bridge, take the Thames Path and enjoy the incredible views. You’ll then reach Fulham Palace before the path ends at Kew Bridge, right before the Royal Botanical Gardens.
6. Go to local and free events
There’s a huge amount going on in and around Wembley Park. The area is home to iconic music and sporting facilities, with Wembley Stadium and the OVO Arena Wembley nearby. We also hold regular prize draws that give residents the chance to win free tickets to some of the events. There’s also plenty happening in the nearby BOXPARK, with music shows, sports screenings and comedy nights throughout the year.
Sometimes, you don’t even have to leave your Quintain Living apartment building to enjoy the free events. We regularly put on everything from rooftop film screenings to game nights to help you fall in love.
A new era of renting in West London
At Quintain Living in Wembley Park, you’ll find cheap date ideas in London to suit every budget, whether it’s a night in with your long-term partner or the early days with someone new. And even if you don’t fall in love with your date, you’ll still be crazy about this beautiful city.
Find out why a home with Quintain Living is more than just an apartment, explore our buildings and find your perfect home.
