The Best Bars for a First Date (That Won't Let You Down)
JH
James Harlow
8 min read
The best bars for a first date have three things in common: conversation is possible, the drinks are good enough to talk about, and the lighting makes everyone look like they have their act together. We have tested more venues than is professionally advisable across New York and London to give you a list of bars that won't sabotage a perfectly good evening.
First Date Bars in New York
New York's cocktail bar scene is deep enough that you could go on 40 first dates without repeating a venue. We recommend five that reliably deliver on all the variables that matter: noise levels, seat availability, drinks quality, and an atmosphere that doesn't put either person on edge.
01
Maison Premiere
Williamsburg$$$Belle Epoque / Intimate
The absinthe list alone justifies the trip to Williamsburg. Maison Premiere is styled after a 19th-century New Orleans oyster bar, and it delivers: candlelit, unhurried, and just theatrical enough to give you something to talk about. The absinthes are served properly, which creates an automatic conversation opener. Arrive early or book ahead, the place fills quickly on weekends.
Order: Absinthe drip, then move to one of their Louisiana-inspired cocktails
02
The NoMad Bar
NoMad$$$$Hotel Bar / Polished
The hotel bar that redefined what New York hotel bars could be. Leo Robitschek's program here is among the best in the city, full stop. The room is genuinely beautiful without being cold. Go for the Library section on the second floor if you want privacy and the feeling that someone has thought carefully about where you're sitting.
Order: The Last Word riff on the current seasonal menu
03
Amor y Amargo
East Village$$Bitters / Low-key
A tiny, bitters-focused bar that rewards anyone who knows what they're looking for. Around 20 seats, a menu built entirely around amaro and bitters, and bartenders who will spend as long as you need explaining what everything is. The intimacy works in your favour on a first date, and the price point keeps things from feeling like a performance.
Order: The Oaxacan Old Fashioned or ask for something with Campari
New York date night bar guide
Our full guide to date night bars in New York, from West Village speakeasies to Brooklyn cocktail rooms.
Kenta Goto's Lower East Side bar is one of the most considered rooms in New York. Japanese hospitality, Japanese precision, and a cocktail menu that manages to be elegant without being intimidating. The bar seats are better than the tables for a first date. Go on a Tuesday when the pace is slower and you can actually appreciate what's happening.
Order: Sakura Martini or the Calpico Shochu Sour
05
The Long Island Bar
Cobble Hill$$Classic / Neighbourhood
A beautifully restored 1950s diner bar in Brooklyn that manages to feel both retro and completely contemporary. Toby Cecchini, who invented the Cosmopolitan, runs the cocktail program. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed, the cocktails are impeccable, and the price is honest. The kind of bar that makes you both feel like you've discovered something.
Order: The house Cosmopolitan, the way it was meant to taste
First Date Bars in London
London's cocktail bar scene has matured considerably in the past decade, and the options for a first date have grown proportionally better. These 5 bars across central London offer the right mix of atmosphere, quality, and conversational possibility.
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06
Evans and Peel Detective Agency
Earl's Court$$$Speakeasy / Theatrical
You enter through a fake detective agency and get interrogated before gaining access to the bar. It sounds gimmicky and it absolutely works. The theatre of getting in becomes the icebreaker that makes the next two hours easy. The cocktails behind the door are genuinely good. Book in advance, this place operates on reservations only.
Order: The Old Fashioned with their house-smoked whisky
07
Nightjar
Shoreditch$$$Jazz / Underground
Live jazz, underground setting, and one of London's most creative cocktail menus. Nightjar consistently ranks among the world's 50 best bars, and the atmosphere justifies it. The menu is organised by era, from the Prohibition period through to modern-day, which gives you six months of first-date topics without breaking a sweat. Reserve a booth if possible.
Order: Anything from the Pre-Prohibition section of the menu
08
Lyaness
South Bank$$$$Modern / River Views
Ryan Chetiyawardana's South Bank bar is London's most forward-thinking cocktail operation. The menu changes entirely twice a year and is built around a central theme rather than classic templates. Views over the Thames from the Sea Containers hotel. It is expensive but delivers an experience that genuinely distinguishes itself from every other option on this list.
Order: Whatever the current menu's headline cocktail is
London date night bars
The full guide to date night bars across London, from Mayfair to Peckham.
The sister bar to Nightjar, Oriole takes a global approach to its spirits and cocktails with a menu organised by continent. The setting in a basement beneath Smithfield Market is theatrical without trying too hard. Live music most evenings. The staff are among the best in London at making you feel like you've arrived somewhere special rather than just ordered a drink.
Order: Ask for a recommendation from the Americas section
10
Swift Upstairs
Soho$$Whisky / Accessible
Swift splits into two distinct floors. Downstairs is a cocktail bar; upstairs is one of London's best whisky bars. For a first date, go upstairs. The scale is more intimate, the light is lower, and the whisky list gives you instant common ground whether or not either of you knows anything about whisky. The staff navigate novice and expert equally well.
Order: Ask the staff for a whisky matching your usual flavour preferences
What Makes a Good First Date Bar
After testing bars across 12 cities, our criteria for a first date bar comes down to 4 factors: noise level under 70 decibels at peak hours, seats rather than standing room, drinks that require some consideration to order, and a room that rewards arriving. Volume kills conversation. Bad lighting kills confidence. A menu with nothing interesting to say kills momentum.
All 10 bars on this list pass all 4 tests. Go to any of them and the venue will do its part. Check the cocktail bars guide for more options across additional cities if you're planning ahead.
The best cocktail bars worldwide
Our full cocktail bar guide across 60 cities, organised by occasion and neighbourhood.
