London at Christmas can feel like a fever dream of fairy lights, bad office parties and people panic-buying Terry’s Chocolate Oranges. But if you edit it right, it’s also one of the best times of year to go on a date: cold enough to justify holding hands, dark enough for everything to feel a bit more cinematic, and full of places that do winter properly, fires, basements, mulled wine, the lot.
You could do Winter Wonderland and call it a day (if you want the date to be average at best, or if you want your phone to get stolen…not talking from experience). Or you could do something a bit more… edited.
This Date Edit takes you from the South Bank for a soft festive start, up through Covent Garden for lights and people-watching, then into Soho/Hoxton basements for good cocktails, before finishing in a proper fireplace pub where you can thaw out.
Vibe: Twinkly lights, basement cocktails, fireplace energy
Area: South Bank, Covent Garden, Soho, Hampstead
Best For: Getting close and cosy
Budget: ££
Length: 5–7 hours
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The Day Thing
South Bank & Slow Festive Energy
We are kicking things off with something basic – a walk along the Southbank Centre Winter Market. There are wooden chalets, street food, mulled wine and the Thames doing her moody winter lead role. It’s festive without tipping into novelty jumper territory.
- Grab a coffee or hot chocolate first so you’ve got something to hold while you do the “so, how’s your December looking?” chat.
- Share something messy, raclette, loaded potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding wraps.
Stroll down past the Southbank Book Market, flick through old paperbacks and pretend you’re the sort of couple who reads poetry aloud on the tube. If you want a view moment, wander up to Waterloo Bridge and take in the skyline before heading back down along the river.
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Price Point: ££
The Afternoon Thing
Covent Garden Lights & Non-Festive Detour
From South Bank, walk over the bridge and weave your way to Covent Garden. It’s busy, yes, but it’s also peak “London at Christmas” cinema: giant decorations, live music, and lots of tourists.
Do a quick lap of the piazza, watch whatever busker has drawn the biggest crowd, and get a drink or snack from one of the stalls if you’re not fully mulled-wined-out yet.
Then escape the crowds via Seven Dials:
- Drift through the side streets and pick up last-minute gifts from independents that make you look wildly thoughtful.
- Duck into a small café or wine bar if you want a reset before the evening.
If you’ve got energy, keep walking up towards Soho.
Price Point: ££
If It Goes Well
Underground Bar Edition
Once the lights are on and you’ve done your fair share of wandering, it’s time to head underground. London is full of bars that feel like a secret without being impossible to get into. A few to plug into your route:
- Cahoots (Soho/Kingly Court) – A 1940s, tube-station-themed bar with vintage signs, jokey announcements and cocktails served in everything from mugs to tins. Camp, fun, and ideal if you want a bit of theatre with your drink.
- Discount Suit Company (near Liverpool Street/Spitalfields) – Hidden down a staircase in what used to be a tailor’s stockroom. Small, candlelit and great if you want to sit close at a tiny table.
- Happiness Forgets (Hoxton Square) – “Great cocktails, no wallies” is basically the energy. Basement bar, strong drinks, and very atmospheric lighting.
Order something short and strong, compare terrible Secret Santa stories, and pretend you haven’t both already stalked each other’s Instagram all the way back to 2017.
Note: If you do want to go to any of these bars, we strongly recommend you book before.
Price Point: £££
Wrap-Up or Bonus Round
Fireplace Pub Crawl
To finish, head to a pub where the fireplace is non-negotiable. The goal: somewhere you can peel off your scarf, share a bottle of red and slowly roast in front of the fire while you decide whether this is an “Uber home alone” or “do you want to come to mine, you can meet my cute dog?” situation (the dog is not a euphemism).
Related article: The Date Edit: Cute Bethnal Green Brunch Date Idea
Depending on where you’ve ended up:
- Lamb & Flag, Covent Garden – Old-school, slightly creaky and usually busy, but if you can slot yourselves into a corner, it feels like a period drama, just with more puffer jackets.
- The Holly Bush, Hampstead – If you’re happy to head north, this is elite. Cobbled lanes, low ceilings, open fires, and the sense that everyone here owns at least one dog and some sort of knitwear collection.
- The Spaniards Inn or The Anglesea Arms – Both excellent for winter: dark wood, cosy corners, and proper “we came for a drink but stayed for dinner” potential.
Share a pudding or just triple down on potatoes. Sit there until your faces are pink, and you’re arguing over the correct ranking of Christmas songs (we all know the Pogues is No.1; if you think differently, you’re wrong)
Price Point: ££/£££
A few extra tips (because it’s the Christmas Date Edit, our present to you)
You can easily remix this depending on the person and your stamina:
- More festive: Add an ice-skating session at Somerset House, Battersea Power Station or wherever you can actually get a slot.
- Less festive: Skip the market entirely, do a long winter walk along the Thames, then head straight into a basement bar and finish at the pub. Still seasonal, less tinsel.
- Queer mate date: Same route, less pressure. Ideal for catching up and debriefing about situationships.
Christmas in London can be a bit overwhelming from a distance – but close up, with the right route and the right person, it’s pretty much the dream winter date.
See you next time for the next instalment of The Date Edit.
Nonchalant x
Babs heads up Logistics and Product here at Nonchalant Magazine.
