Love is always in the air here in New York City — even when it’s not Valentine’s Day!
Whether you’re trying to impress someone on a first date, or treating your partner to a fun night out, there are always so many things to do in NYC! From intimate candlelit dinners to one-of-a-kind experiences, these date ideas are sure to ignite your romance and cement your love with NYC.
Attend Date Night at the Met
Calling all artsy couples! Date Night at the Met is one of our favorite romantic date ideas, and it happens every Friday and Saturday night from 5 pm – 9 pm! You can bring someone special to enjoy everything The Metropolitan Museum of Art has to offer, including live music across the museum, drink specials, small bites, and of course the art. All events are free with museum admission, which is pay-as-you-wish for New York State residents and NY, NJ, and CT students. Learn more online!
Stroll through the New York Botanical Garden
The gorgeous New York Botanical Garden is the perfect place to take a lovely stroll with your significant other! With the NYBG Orchid Show in bloom, it’s an ideal time to take couple selfies amongst the florals. The attraction also hosts tons of great events, including special wine tastings, romantic walking tours, and more.
Go to a hockey game
A great date gets your heart pumping — and so do the Blue Shirts when they hit the ice. Take your Rangers fan to a game at MSG and cheer on the team until they bring home the W. The best restaurants near MSG make for a good pre-game pitstop, too!
Enjoy friendly competition at The Lawn Club
Rent a small piece of “lawn” for a few hours and play all kinds of games at Lawn Club in Seaport. Your own private lawn includes its own big-screen television, where you can watch TV while playing games like cornhole, ladder golf, can jam and more! Not to mention they have delicious elevated snacks and gourmet cocktails! Plan your visit to Lawn Club here.
Switch things up with a hilarious wine tasting
Whether this is your first or thirtieth date, An Idiot’s Guide to Wine is a unique date idea for anyone that loves the grape. Featuring a seasoned comedian that guides you through the tasting, you’ll learn more about wine and how to savor it properly, try out six different varieties and laugh your way through what will surely be a memorable date!
Go for a whole in one at Puttery
Puttery is NYC’s hottest mini golf destinations, and it’s perfect for a date night, too! This Rory McIlroy-backed spot combines tech-enabled mini golf with elevated chef-crafted cuisine and unique cocktails, making it the perfect activity date. Plan your visit to Puttery online.
Take in 360-degree skyline views at NYC’s only rotating restaurant
If you’re in searching of something stunning for a night out, look no further. Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group has reimagined The View, a rotating restaurant nestled in one of NYC’s beloved hotels, New York Marriott Marquis. Just in time for Valentine’s Day 2025, the iconic spot has reopened. The menu is as decadent as the decor: feast on lamb chops and picanha, or seared duck breast before feasting on a classic for dessert: NYC cheesecake.
Set sail on a scenic cruise
Enjoy breathtaking views together with one of the hundreds of romantic cruises around NYC waters! From signature dinner cruises to brunch cruises options abound at sea. Check out our favorite dinner cruises here and even more options online.
Hear your favorite jazz songs at The Jazz Room
The Jazz Room is a 60-minute live jazz show that immerses audiences in the world of jazz. By celebrating renowned artists and hits from the genre’s New Orleans roots to its boom in the vibrant New York scene and beyond, you and that someone special will find yourselves dancing in your seats to smooth notes and syncopated beats in a street-style bar setting. Learn more and book your tickets here!
Take in a romantic concert by candlelight
Bask in the glow of candlelight as you watch stunning symphonies perform your favorite hit music! Ranging from The Beatles to Taylor Swift, these themed candlelight concerts take over the most gorgeous venues in New York City to play romantic renditions of iconic records. Turn the lights low and grab tickets to show here.
Chef up together at an NYC cooking class
Teamwork makes the dream work, and cheffing up a lovely meal together is such a fun bonding experience. No matter what you’re craving, there’s a class to help you master that next recipe. We’re talking everything from Asian dumplings to handmade pasta! It could just be your next favorite dinner meal to prep together! Check out our favorite cooking classes in NYC here.
Let your tastebuds run free at Dining in the Dark
This date idea is for all of our foodies out there! Want to take your tastebuds (and relationship) to the next level? Try out Dining in the Dark, a unique tasting experience where you try out all sorts of food blindfolded! Happening now is a Sushi “Omakase” Edition of the event, in which you’re treated to a secret, chef’s choice 12-piece “omakase” while blindfolded. The mysterious experience is interactive, tasting, and memorable! It lasts around 90 minutes.
🍽️ Buy your tickets to Dining in the Dark here!
Sip eloquently at a fancy wine bar
NYC’s wine bars are some of the coziest spots to feel romantic with your significant other, and sipping on fine wine perfectly sets the mood! Whether you’re looking for a wine tasting experience or a snug booth to enjoy a glass of sauv blanc, there are a ton of places to do it.
Go curling
Up for a little friendly competition? Bring your pals and your date to a curling lane or club for an exciting game, delicious treats, and a great mood-booster. Who’s up first?
Catch a Broadway show
How about a date to Broadway? Laugh, cry, and applaud one of the many incredible Broadway productions that are currently happening! You can start off with a meal in a Theater District restaurant before making your way to watch a classic play like Wicked or The Lion King!
Go axe throwing
Looking for a cute and competitive date idea? Challenge each other to some axe throwing, where you can try and hit the target while you sip on fun drinks! There are a bunch of locations around the city to choose from, so you can pick and choose where you want to end up. Check out our favorite axe throwing spots here.
Create a custom fragrance at Olfactory NYC
Olfactory NYC gives New Yorkers a fun date opportunity in the form of making a custom fragrance! Cement your love together and make your own signature scent, bottled fresh on-site. You can pick and choose scents and concoct your very own smell that you can purchase right away. It’s the perfect opportunity to make a memory and take it home with you!
Team up to outsmart an NYC escape room
Get ready to solve a mystery together as you and your date attempt to outwit one of NYC’s escape rooms! These themed and clever IRL puzzles are such a fun relationship-building opportunity! Not only is it fun to do, but it can build skills like communication and patience.
Get creative at a ceramics studio
Go on a date and learn a new skill, all at the same time! Ceramic studios are a great date spot to let out your creative side and create a piece of art you can cherish forever. No matter how much experience you may or may not have, beginner level classes are a great place to jump into the art form.
Feel erotic at The Museum of Sex
Get super intimate together at the Museum of Sex, where there are tons of exhibit galleries, immersive experiences, and more to check out! Particularly Superfunland, which is four floors of ecstatic amusements, including a 4-D immersive “Tunnel of Love,” an erotic fortune-telling machine (modeled as RuPaul), a mechanical bull, and more!
Tap in to your artsy side at Paint and Sip
One of NYC’s most increasingly popular date night ideas is paint and sip (or paint and pour depending on how you wish to phrase it). You and your date can sip on cocktails and wine, all while an instructor teaches you how to paint a picture! It’s fun, laid-back, and a great way to have a casual yet hands-on date experience. Some of our favorite spots include Paint & Sip Studio on the UWS and Paint ‘N Pour in the Lower East Side.
Laugh the night away at an NYC comedy club
Laugh your socks off together at one of NYC’s famous comedy clubs! Sharing laughter together is one of the best date ideas, especially if you’re doing it in one of the city’s iconic spots like The Comedy Cellar or Gotham Comedy Club. Just don’t sit near the stage or you may be picked on! 😉 Check out our favorite NYC comedy clubs here.