The best dates to take her on this summer

Looking to impress her in the sun this summer? These ideas are guaranteed to impress

Dating in the winter is easy: you take her to a nice country-style pub, sit by the fire, get a half decent bottle of red and you’re good to go. But in summer, there’s a lot more pressure in the dating game. It can be much harder to impress because it’s lighter, warmer and there are far more options to play with. Expectations are high and you can easily fail. So here’s what to do:

A cliché it may be, but a rooftop bar is always guaranteed to be a winner. You still need to plan this meticulously though, because as soon as there’s the tiniest ray of sun shining on the city, the whole of London will descend – or should that be ascend? – on every square in of rooftop bar that’s open for business.

As such, you need to pick your spot wisely, because there’s nothing worse than a date where you have to awkwardly stand still, clutching your drink, waiting expectantly for a free table. We’d suggest trying Frank’s in Peckham, Boundary in Shoreditch or Sushi Samba in Moorgate. Or, if they don’t take your fancy, there’s bound to be something here

Take her to a river-side pub – if you’re in London head to Putney or Barnes – rather than a central London pub that’s guaranteed to be rammed full of unpleasantly drunk Englishmen. Find somewhere slightly out of the city, a place that you may not normally go, so that you feel like you’re on a day out and she feels like you’ve made the effort.

Trust us, the extra mile – literally – will make all the difference on the dating front, and we’ve got just the places for you. The White Hart in Barnes is a den of Tudor grandeur, is easy to get to, but feels far out. The Duke’s Head in Putney will give you great views, and has excellent bar food, and Chiswick’s The City Barge is a novel bar with some real history and really good beer. You can’t go wrong.

A simple cinema date will never feel the same again once you’ve experienced the wonders of London’s outdoor cinema scene. This is one of the best places to take her, especially if you don’t know her that well and are unsure that you’ll be able to keep conversation going all night.

The spectacle and atmosphere will even cover for you if you get the film a little wrong, and end up taking her to see some subtitled arthouse documentary by mistake. The best in the capital are Luna Cinema and Rooftop Film Club – both of which have their own quirks and novelties, but all delivery on the experience.

Be warned: this is something for when you’re a few dates deep, rather than a first or second date. Do this too early on and she’ll see you as far too keen to impress – which unfortunately can sometimes work against you.

If you’re comfortable enough then take her away for the day, even if it’s just to somewhere within an hour of the city. Oxfordshire, Surrey or Suffolk are perfect places to start, and places like Soho Farmhouse are ideal bases for the day.

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