Love is in the air and as usual, Bristol is not missing out on any of the action! Did you know that us South westerners have come out on top as the most romantic people in the UK? According to Moonpig’s 2025 Regional Love Report, 40% of us show affection in one form or another daily. While yes, that might be romantic love, admittedly, we aren’t too surprised, as at Bristol Girl we see love spread everywhere at our events, activities and clubs. Whether that is new friendships forming, sharing stories about our love for places, people, pets and passions, love is most certainly all around us. It just isn’t always in the form you expect.

With over 677 restaurants, over 400 parks and a myriad of historic sites in Bristol, we wanted to pull together a list of our favourite date spots, ideas and experiences from across the city.  We know we can’t cover everything, but we’ve handpicked some of our favourite, to help get you stuck into what Bristol has to offer with your loved ones, whatever form that love takes.

Dates for Foodies

Cooking classes

Cooking classes are such a fun way to get stuck into a practical task while having a catch up or getting to know someone. The city has plenty to choose from no matter what your dietary requirements or preferred cuisine.

Some of our favourite businesses include the Cooking flea, run by Carmen, where you can learn to cook some of the authentic delights of Italy with a vegan flourish. Or Migrateful, classes which aim to celebrate migrants and unite people using the power of food. They have an incredible range of workshops to chose from including Kurdish, Turkish and Egyptian classes.

Dining in the Dark

We love a twist, especially when it comes to food, so dining in the dark is on the top of our list! The Lost and Found in Bristol run regular dining in the dark experiences for people looking for a bit of a different evening, other than the normal dinner and drinks. You get to pick your menu (meat, veggie, vegan or seafood) before attending and while you eat, you and your companions are blindfolded! This means you can’t see the food in front of you, allowing your tastebuds to take centre stage and take food to the next level.

Hot Chocolate and a Walk

OK, so hot chocolate and a walk might not be the most revolutionary idea we have ever had. However with the selection of hot chocolate spots our city has to offer, we think this is one really not to miss! Ruby Hue is one of our favourite tucked away spots on East Tucker Street in Bristol, near Castle Park. All of their chocolate is made in house, from bean to bar and you can choose from an array of additions including chilli, blackthorn sea salt (YUM) and their pillow like homemade marshmallows. While you can’t sit in their shop, you can pick up a drink and have a wander around some of the historic sites Bristol has to offer nearby.

Another of our top favourites is Zaras Chocolates based on North Street in Bedminster. Zaras is a chocolate shop that also make everything in house and also offer a sit in café experience. They make an array of delicious chocolates in store too, and we thinking buying a couple to eat as you to look at the street art in Bedminster is a need, not a want.

Entertainment

The Cinema

Movie dates are a perfect way to spend down time with people you love being around. We particularly love the cinema as you can make a full night of it with a drink and a catch up beforehand, followed by a good movie in good company afterwards.

A perfect spot for this in Bristol is in the Watershed, a café, bar and cinema all in one. Serving delicious homecooked food, sourced from around the South West the café bar is cosy spot to start the date. You can take your drinks on into the cinema, which is a win in our eyes, and catch popular releases alongside some lesser known titles.

An absolute Bristol favourite is the Everyman cinema and it’s the perfect treat for the special people in your life. It’s art deco features set the perfect scene for an evening at the movies, and there is also a bar you can grab a cocktail in before your film. The theatres themselves have cosy sofas or squashy single seater chairs, combining this with the at your seat food and drink service, it always feels like such a bougee luxury!

Jewellery Making

Founded in 2023, Silver and Steel Studio in East Street Bedminster is a jewellery studio making for an unusual but, in our opinion, fantastic date idea. The studio’s owner, Bethany, is passionate about making jewellery an accessible and thriving industry in Bristol. You can attend a range of courses and workshops from beginners’ bangle, ring or earring making, all the way through to professional courses. A crafty workshop is a great way to try something new and express your creative side with someone and the supportive atmosphere at Silver and Steel is the perfect place start.

Outdoorsy dates

Cabot Tower

We love a picnic as much as the next person and nothing beats picky bits in the sun, surrounded by people on your wavelength. We love Cabot Tower for it’s views across the city, proximity to park street and the lovely landscaped park below. We recommend on a clear day, climbing up the tower and then a well earnt break in the park below.

Leigh Woods

Leigh woods is perfect all year round, whether it’s a blustery winter walk or an escape from the blistering heat in summer. Did you know there is a legend surrounding Leigh Woods, which in itself is a tragic tale of romance? The legends tells of two brothers, Vincent and Goram who were giants and shared affections for a local woman call Avona. The two brothers were instructed by Avona to drain a nearby lake, but Goram, having drunk too much fell asleep. When he woke, Goram learnt that while he slept Vincent won the affections of Avona, so he stamped his foot (creating ‘the giants footprint’ which can be seen in Blaise Castle), laid down and turned to stone with his head and shoulders staying above the water and are today known as flat holm and steep holm.

While you might not see any giants on your adventure (or maybe you will?), it’s the largest area of ancient woodland in the city! So if you are into plants, trees and nature it’s the perfect place to spot species you might not get to see very often. Or if the plant life doesn’t take your fancy then it’s a perfect place to grab a coffee and walk one of the many routes around the wood, while catching up with friends.

Written by Megan Lee