The Dinner Date is Dead. Try These Creative Date Ideas Instead

Planning to woo your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day with the usual dinner at a decent restaurant? Cancel your reservation (or don’t bother making one) and head back to the drawing board. According to a new survey, dinner’s not gonna cut it this time around – you’ll need to come up with some more creative date ideas.

The key to the perfect date: a dash of culture

Over 70% of people in the UK and the US agree that new cultural experiences are the key to keeping that spark lit, and over 50% would like to experience something novel on a first date. 

These were some of the key findings of a recent Tiqets survey of 4,000 people across the UK and US. So whether you’re in a shiny, new relationship and looking for second date ideas, or you’re in the ‘googling date night ideas for married couples’ category, you may want to move your search from restaurant reviews to cultural activities.

Another interesting insight from the survey to help you plan for this Valentine’s Day, or prepare the perfect date: go outside! Outdoor date ideas fared well with both US and UK survey respondents. 

35% of the US respondents thought that a stroll through a park or some botanical gardens would be the best daytime date option, 26% liked the idea of visiting the zoo, and 20% thought more highly of river/canal cruises than the standard indoor activities (yes, we’re referring to last year’s dinner and a movie extravaganza). 

As for the UK, 45% of respondents favoured a stroll in the park, 30% were keen on a river or canal cruise, and 28% liked the idea of going to the zoo.

Looking for more guidance on devising the perfect date? The survey revealed that more than 50% of the people surveyed in both the US and the UK would be impressed by a “fun” date, and more than a third would be impressed by something “surprising”. Understandable: who doesn’t love a rollercoaster ride and an easy excuse to grab their date’s hand?

Finding the right cultural experience for your date 

While amusement parks may be a way to get into someone’s heart, the way to stay in someone’s heart is through new cultural experiences. 77% of the US respondents to the survey agreed that new cultural experiences bring fresh energy to a relationship, and 71% of the UK respondents shared this sentiment. But if the thought of coming up with creative date ideas has got you all in a tangle, keep calm and read on. 

First off: don’t worry about planning too far ahead. According to the survey: in the US, one in three people like to plan a date a few days before the time, and one in ten people wing it on the day. While in the UK, one in three people would plan a few days before and only 3% of respondents would plan a date a month in advance. 

Second: You’ve got a whole lot of options. The cultural experiences category is a broad and beautiful one that encompasses all manner of fun and interesting ways to spend the day with someone, including ones that don’t involve confronting your fear of heights. 

Start planning the perfect date by thinking of topics that interest your date: art, pop culture, history, nature, sport, animals… you get the gist. Once you’ve got a topic (or two), move on to looking for activities that revolve around that topic. Examples could be the Churchill War Rooms for the WWII fanatic, Kew Gardens for the nature addict, the Museum of Modern Art for the contemporary art devotee, or a Broadway musical for the theatre lover. 

More than 70% of the people surveyed said they would plan more than one activity during a date, so if you just can’t decide between the boat ride and the walk in the park – do both. And if you’re a die-hard fan of the dinner date, keep that reservation and add a cultural activity. 

Need some more inspiration? Here are the top 10 best day-time dates according to the survey respondents. 

And if you’re feeling ready to pop the question, survey respondents reckoned these were the most romantic places to put a ring on it. 

Looking for more creative date ideas? We’re full of ‘em. 

Get inspired by these creative date ideas

First date ideas

First impressions are lasting impressions. For your first date, choose an activity that’s interesting but not too radical, and allows you to get in a little conversation.

Explore an interesting exhibition at a museum or gallery

Show off your cultural side and take your date to a new exhibition at a museum or gallery (a top daytime date for 23% of our UK respondents and 33% of our US respondents). If you don’t know too much about each other, the subject matter of the exhibition can be a great conversation starter – and perhaps the gateway to common interests, or even shared passions. 

Check out the options at these museums: the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Louvre (Paris), the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam) and the Prado Museum (Madrid).

Visit a local landmark 

Play tourist in your home city and plan your rendezvous around a cool monument or beautiful building. If the date’s a bust, you’re not locked into an activity that’s painfully long, and if all goes well, you can always extend your time together with a coffee or a drink. 

Inspiring spots: the Eiffel Tower (Paris), the Sydney Opera House (Sydney), the Colosseum (Rome), Belvedere Palace (Vienna) and the Doge’s Palace (Venice).

Second date ideas

Keep things interesting on date number two with these more romantic creative date ideas. 

Discover a local hidden gem together

Most people like to do something fun or unexpected on dates, so look for something unusual! Deep-dive into your city’s hidden gems and choose an off-the-beaten-path attraction for a memorable second date. 

A couple of examples: Wine tasting at Les Caves du Louvre (Paris), A concert at the Kursalon (Vienna), an underground tour of the Trevi Fountain (Rome), climb the stunning spiral staircase in Scala Contarini del Bovolo (Venice), and have a little fun at Spyscape (New York).

Take the scenic route to romance and head to an observation deck

Take your date’s breath away with a view from the top. Observation decks are a great way to up the ante of the more standard dinner or drinks option. So, set the mood with mesmerizing cityscapes or end on a high note with spectacular views. 

Top picks: Enjoy picture-perfect views from the Empire State Building (New York), the Burj Khalifa (Dubai), the Shard (London) and SkyPoint Observation Deck (Surfers Paradise).

Outdoor date ideas 

The survey results have spoken: the best dates are the kind that involve sunshine and fresh air. Here are some of the best outdoor date ideas.

Go for a stroll around the closest park or botanical gardens

Picturesque sights and spacious gardens are an easy option if you don’t know much about your date. Take in the scenery and enjoy the fresh air – and, hopefully, each other’s company! 

A few favourites: Kew Gardens (London), Central Park (New York), Parc Guell  (Barcelona), Yoyogi Park (Tokyo) and the Hoge Veluwe National Park in The Netherlands.

Cruise down a river together

Find your sea legs together and hop on a river or canal cruise. Leave the navigating to the captain and enjoy the gentle swaying of the boat and the feeling of someone special sitting close beside you. 

Some sail-ient suggestions: Hop on a gondola (Venice), tour some canals (Amsterdam), drift down the Seine (Paris), hang out on the Hudson (New York), and take in the sights from a cruise along the coast (Barcelona).

About the survey 

In February 2020, Tiqets commissioned the perfect date survey to gain better insights into what people are looking for in a date. The survey was conducted by market-research company OnePoll and was distributed in the UK and the US. 

2,000 people participated in the UK survey. 51% of the respondents identified as female and 49% identified as male, and people from the age of 18 and upwards were surveyed.

In the US survey, there were also 2,000 participants. 51% of the respondents identified as male and 49% identified as female, and people from the age of 18 and upwards were surveyed.

In need of some inspiration for a Valentine’s getaway? Look no further than these romantic destinations.