The CW top ten: best romantic London ideas
The Bingham restaurant's mystery menu
This fine Richmond establishment is encouraging diners to be adventurous via a new mystery menu option. Having initially analysed the orders being placed and noticing that guests were rarely experimenting or choosing the best options on offer, The Bingham decided to attempt to change the way people order food. Different every night and for every table, the mystery menu is not only expertly curated but downright delicious and certainly with an element of excitement.
Regent’s Park Inner Circle
The Open-Air Theatre isn’t the only attraction in this beautifully maintained area of the park. As well as the lovely Triton Fountain and Queen Mary’s Gardens, which are both great spots for late-night romance, there’s the ‘Invisible City’, patronized by Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter. It comprises a series of ‘biophilic pavilions’ intended to capture the magic of living in tree buildings. Who says treehouses are just for kids?
Drop-in evening Drawing Classes at NPG
The weekly after hours drop-in drawing classes at the National Portrait Gallery offer total respite (in fact are almost therapeutic) from chaotic summer holiday London, as you sketch away at your own pace inspired by the portraiture masterpieces on display. Though there is a short introduction at 18.30, you're welcome to turn up and leave whenever you fancy, the class welcomes anyone from beginners to accomplished artists, and all materials are provided.
Some Like It Hot at the BFI
Nobody’s perfect, but few comedies are more flawless than this 1959 gem from Billy Wilder, which is currently in an extended run at the BFI. The fun Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis have with I.A.L. Diamond’s glittering, inspired script is palpable; definitely one to tickle the funny bones. If for some reason your beloved still hasn’t seen it, or equally if it's an old favourite, a trip to Southbank’s silver screen will be well worth it.
Mile High Pop-up
While you don't necessarily need to join the Mile High Club, you can always opt for the Mile High Pop-up as a milder alternative to get some romance going... With the theme 'Destination Andalucia (in London)' from the 30th July - 9th August 2014, this unusual dining experience combines food with art, music, interactive theatre, and up and coming talent from London's culinary scene to create an immersive and unforgettable evening.
Brindisa tasting at Selfridges
Sophisticated tapas joint Brindisa have gone from strength to strength in the past few years, with branches opening up all over London, including a casa in Brixton village earlier this year, and delis all over the UK stocking their quality Spanish produce. For delectable sharing platters, pop in to Selfridges this Saturday for a tasting from their fine selection of olive oils, garbanzos, chorizo and much more.
Battersea Power Station
From Thursday to Sunday until 31 August, you’ll find it hard to get bored ‘neath the iconic towers of Battersea Power Station. You’ll find food supplied by Le Bun, Mama’s Jerk and a Prosecco & Oysters bar, and two- or four-person pods in which to sit and be waited on. (There’ll be bean bags too.) Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a pop-up cinema - screening romantic classics such as Manhattan , Lost in Translation and Lady and the Tramp , as well as cult horror like Evil Dead , An American Werewolf in London and The Wicker Man . Artier films by Antonioni, Godard and Bruce Robinson are also screening; no film will run you more than a fiver.
Keats's House
The home of John Keats - one of the greatest English Romantic poets - from 1818 to 1820, this tucked-away little white house in Hampstead has been sensitively refurbished into a fascinating museum heaving with history and charm. A display on Keats's sweetheart, Fanny Brawne, who lived next door, an engagement ring given to her by Keats, and the plum tree under which Keats composed 'Ode to a Nightingale' are just some of the romantic highlights of this special spot.
St Dunstan in the East
Rather than restoring the church after its destruction during the Blitz, local authorities decided to turn the ruins into a public garden. It’s a boon for picknickers looking for an inexpensive day out – you can bring your own food and drink, and entry is free. Imagine not paying a penny for sitting and eating among exotic plants and ornamental vines. Isn’t life sweet?
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
This famed pub has had quite a saucy history. About 50 years ago, it donated to the Museum of London several explicit erotic plaster tiles from one of its upper storeys – tiles that suggested the public house had been used as a brothel in the 18th Century. The pub has several other claims to fame: Twain, Tennyson and Conan Doyle all frequented it, and its house parrot, Polly, was so beloved that her death in 1926 was reported by 200 newspapers around the world.
