First dates need to be memorable so we’ve come up with some great date ideas. Brighton’s heaving bars and clubs can be a bit noisy for getting to know someone and the restaurants can be pricey if you’re a student, so why not try out a few of these ideas instead?

Go to Silverstone
Well not really. But Hove boasts one of the most fun and unusual places for a perfect first date – giant Scalextic tracks that look like famous British racetracks. The monstrous tracks let you race the cars of your choice for eight minutes and cost just £2 per go, so you can race round the five different tracks till you run out of steam or money. Then afterwards, just hit the nearby beach café or hop next door for a pint in the pub.
Check out Race-A-Way here
5 Hove Street, Hove (near the King Alfred Sports Centre) BN3 View on map

A day by the sea
Living by the sea is amazing, but how many of us actually go off and do the tacky stuff on the pier unless we have visitors? It’s a great place to take that new boy or girl in your life: show off your skills by winning oversized cuddly toys, hold each other close in the haunted house, grab fish and chips from the vendors and scream your heads off on the ride that turns you upside down over the sea. And the best bit is – you can take a romantic walk along the pier at sunset and you won’t have to spend a single penny.
Madeira Drive, Brighton BN2 1TW View on map

Tea anyone?
English tea. A tradition that’s maybe been left behind, but it’s a quirky idea that can be great for the start or end of a date. Head for the Tea Cosy – a fabulously chintzy café in Kemp Town that pays homage to the Royals and has to be seen. But do mind your Ps & Qs while you sip your tea; there are several rules to being refined.
Find out what the Tea Cosy is all about here
George Street, Brighton BN2 View on map

A fun day out
If you want a whole day of fun on your first date, Brighton’s Marina has all you need. Take the bus or enjoy a romantic half-hour stroll from Palace Pier, to find great restaurants, a casino, bowling, pubs, cafés and even go on a hired boat onto the sea, or take a mackerel fishing trip for a really different date.
Check out the Marina here
Brighton Marina, Brighton BN2 5UF View on map

Let’s go fly a kite
There’s nothing more romantic than enjoying the great outdoors together. So why not pick up a kite from town and then head down to the beach for a day of flying fun. You could even go up to Devil’s Dyke for spectacular views, romantic walks and a good drink in the pub after you’ve shown off your flying skills.
The very end of Devil’s Dyke Road, Brighton View on map

A different kind of cinema
So going to the cinema isn’t the best idea for a first date. But when you can snuggle up on sofas together watching the latest blockbuster then it doesn’t seem such a bad idea. The Duke of York cinema has sofas and big comfy chairs in its balcony area, which incidentally is right next to the beer-serving bar. So pay a couple of quid extra and visit the most romantic cinema in town.
Find the Duke of York here
Preston Circus, Brighton BN1 4NA View on map

All you can eat
Take your new date out for some great food at the Bombay Aloo Indian Restaurant. Handily it’s a vegetarian restaurant so there are no problems with veggie dates, plus it costs just £4.95 for all you can eat and it stays open till midnight on weekends – so you can grab a curry after a few drinks in town.
Check out the menu online
39 Ship Street, Brighton BN1 1AB View on map

Break the ice
This may sound a little strange, but Snooper’s Paradise will make a very memorable date indeed. You can pass it off as a walk through the North Laines, but once you enter this treasure trove / flea market, you’ll spend a good hour or two walking round chatting away about all the randomness inside. A great way to break the ice. And you could even buy your date a little something as a keepsake.
7-8 Kensington Gardens, Brighton BN1 4AL View on map

Throw yourself down a hill
Stranger things have happened on a first date I’m sure… If you’re going on a date in summer and you really want to impress, then organise a day of Orbing at Devil’s Dyke. You can join larger parties and really get to know each other as you speed down a hill in a giant inflatable ball. Great fun and shows that special person that you know how to have a good time.
Find out about Orbing here
The very end of Devil’s Dyke Road, Brighton View on map


PLUS…
If you’re planning on a few drinks after experiencing some of our great date ideas, Brighton’s pubs and clubs can accommodate. Check out ten top drinking spots here

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