13 Unusual Places To Go On a Date in Leeds

Are you thinking of stepping up your dating game? If you want to see a different side to that special someone and entertain them with more than just a pint and a packet of pork scratchings, these alternative date locations will guarantee your meet-up will live long in your date’s memory. Within our list below, we’ve got a great selection of date venues; from competitive and active dates to chilled cinema trips and afternoons where you really have to use your brain!

 

 

A Pub Quiz

It’s fair to say, nowadays we celebrate uniqueness and geek is chic. So how about trying to impress your date with a modern pub quiz? It’s a great way to get to know eachother, since you never know what may crop up.
Across Leeds there are a variety of Speed Quizzing events where you play through an app instead of pen and paper, it’s fast paced and impossible to cheat too – try Parkside Tavern on a Tuesday evening for example where you can find a wide selection of beers and pizzas, or Outlaw’s Yacht Club where there’s cake up for grabs, or film and TV buffs should check out Nation of Shopkeepers – join in the fun every week.

 

Kirkstall Flyboat

Widely regarded as Yorkshire’s finest passenger restaurant boat, the Kirkstall Flyboat makes for a quirky dinner date off dry land. This purpose-built restaurant boat carries up to 44 people and offers a great choice of dining options. We were particularly taken with their Afternoon Tea Cruise, which allowed you to saunter along the canal into Leeds and share a traditional afternoon tea, all served with vintage bone china to boot. The trip lasts three hours and is a great way to get to know your date one-on-one.

 

Leeds LGBT+ Pride

There’s no more enjoyable, safer place for dating for the LGBT community in Leeds than at the city’s Pride event. It is the biggest Pride event of its kind in Yorkshire, and it takes place on August 5th this year.
Each year, thousands march through Leeds city centre and party into the early hours, watching a great line-up of mainstream and LGBT acts on-stage in and around Millennium Square. Celebrate equality and diversity with your date, you’ll both find it equally empowering!

 

 

The Brudenell

If you discover that you and your potential love interest both have a passion for live music, impress your date by taking them to The Brudenell Social Club for a gig. This old working man’s club isn’t the fanciest of venues but it makes up for that by hosting a string of up-and-coming rock and indie bands in its 400-capacity concert room. It’s been nominated on more than one occasion by NME in the UK’s Best Small Venue category and has had local boys, Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand play secret gigs there in years gone by.

Queens Court & Fibre

It’s impossible to choose which venue is better than the other, since they each have their own distinct qualities – since they share the famous Courtyard Parties as well, they’re making up two spots in one.
Fibre is full of comfy seating, drinks offers, and something different each night of the week – from Gin Lab to acoustic performances, so a real opportunity to get to know your date. In fact, they’re also dog friendly if you fancy taking your pampered pooch on your date too!
Much like Fibre, Queens Court offers deals on drinks and sassy DJ’s to back it up. Why not try Rock and Roll Bingo on a Wednesday?

 

ELLAND ROAD

If you’re a football mad pair then a Saturday afternoon trip to Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium should tick all the right boxes. Although United have been out of the Premier League for many years now, they still regularly get crowds of over 20,000, so you can be sure of an exciting atmosphere regardless of the opponent. It’s the 13th largest stadium in England and boasts a genuine old-school feel, harking back to the days of Don Revie and Leeds’ dominance in the 1970s. The main stand which houses the vociferous home supporters is the Elland Road stand which can be quite intimidating if you are heading to your first ever match. For a great combination of atmosphere and an excellent view of the action, choose the East Stand. Why not book a stadium tour?

 

The Viaduct Showbar

Recognition and support for the LGBT+ community has come a long way in recent years and whatever your dating preference, it’s undisputable that The Viaduct Showbar provides some of the most carefree fun in Leeds. Head down on a Friday night and catch cabaret performances from Chicago to Lady Gaga.
It’s a cosy venue but the performers and staff love their trade, so naturally you’ll love it too!

Revolucion de Cuba

Have you got the rhythm in your feet? Head on down to the city centre and Revolucion de Cuba for a serious salsa class with your beau in tow. You don’t have to pay a penny to take part in their beginner salsa classes, so it’s a cheap way of letting your hair down. The restaurant also runs cocktail-making classes, which you could always pair up with your salsa class to act as some much-needed post-dancing refreshment. As a Cuban-influenced bar, the atmosphere is always fun and vibrant, so it might not be the ideal first date location!

Watch A Film In Style

Watching a film may seem like a poor choice of date in theory, but how about making an actual night of it in style?
Everyman Cinema in Trinity Leeds is still a great place to see a film in a relaxed and luxurious environment. Featuring bars where you can grab a drink and get to know your date first and super comfy sofas to potentially cosy up with your date during the film.
If you want to try something new, perhaps grab some Lebanese food at Comptoir Libanais before the film just below the lobby.
Or for the old-school glamour try Hyde Park Picture House. This Grade II listed building is over a century old and is has a genuinely romantic feel, with a cosy bar area that’s perfect for pre or post-show drinks. Aside from the leading Hollywood movies, Hyde Park Picture House is also the location for the Leeds International Film Festival screenings and the occasional musical performance.

 

Tropical World

Animal lovers will adore the chance to discover the UK’s biggest tropical plant and animal collection outside of London’s Kew Gardens. Tropical World in Roundhay Park is one of the biggest and best family-friendly attractions in Leeds, so it’s a safe and secure place to meet for a first date. There are heaps of exotic animals to discover. From creepy crocodiles to playful meerkats and monkeys that are perfect for easing any first date nerves. Once you’ve made your way through the rainforest, there’s an on-site café which you can kick back with refreshments.

 

Live Escape Games

The home of the inaugural escape game in Leeds, Tick Tock Unlock has everything you need for a brain-fuelled date. There are six different escape games to choose from, giving you six potential dates at the same venue if you enjoy it that much! It’s now the largest escape game venue in the city and is already pioneering virtual reality escape experiences with four-dimensional effects.
There’s also Locked In Games, ParaPark and the newly opened Escape Hunt Leeds.

Jump Around

If you’re not afraid of getting hot and sweaty in front of your date, there’s always the city’s new favourite acitivity; free-jumping trampoline parks!
Oxygen Freejumping Leeds has nine separate zones of jumping to explore, including over 120 trampolines, most of which are placed at different angles. There’s also Jump Inc and Jump Arena so you can bounce around to your heart’s content whilst getting to know your date.
It’s a good way of breaking the ice if you’re a little uncomfortable with formal one-on-one chats. There’s even an on-site assault course and a world-first fitness reaction track that you can show off in!

 

Yeadon Tarn

Ordinarily, you’d think that heading out in a boat in Leeds wouldn’t be possible – until you’ve heard about Yeadon Tarn that is. This picturesque park is open 365 days a year and is popular with active people of all ages at weekends and evenings. It’s about nine miles outside of Leeds city centre, so it’s probably a ten-minute drive. You could choose the one-mile circular walk around the pretty manmade lake, or you could don a wetsuit and get involved in some of the lake’s many watersports. There’s kayaking, open-water canoeing and rafting hosted at the Leeds Sailing & Activity Centre, while more adventurous watersports activities such as powerboating are available at the nearby Royal Yachting Association Training Centre.

 

 

It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning an extra-special first date or you’re looking to spoil your wife rotten on a random night out, these 13 quirky date night options demonstrate just why Leeds is such a great place to live. There’s no need to think outside the box anymore with this extensive list of date venues – you can thank us later once you’ve put a ring on it!