45 Ultimate Date Ideas in Bristol | Alternative & Fun

Whether you’re an outdoors lover, a speciality gin lover, a creative soul, a sucker for any live atmosphere, into the arts, into sports or into games of any sort- this post will give you inspiration for the best unique dates that bristol has to offer!

These suggestions are creative and fun- they are perfect for the vibe of Bristol. If you’re looking for the best bars and restaurant for date night in Bristol, we have a whole other curated post on that- leaving this post for the times you fancy something more unique and quirky!

Sunset at Troopers Hill 

This is a low-key romantic sunset date idea. Troopers hill is an old mine, turned wildlife par in the St George area of Bristol with fabulous views across the city. It is west facing, so it’s a perfect spot to watch the sunset. In the summer months, you also have a good chance of spotting some hot air balloons from here. There is no café in the park so you’re best to take a tea or drinks flask or grab a takeaway from somewhere in St George on your way. 

This is a sweet, evening picnic date idea. If you’re having a great time- there are pubs in St George to be enjoyed for a few drinks after! 

If this sounds good- another post about Bristol’s best view spots for more inspiration. 

Walk through Ashton Court and Lunch in Clifton 

Ashton Court is a gorgeous estate park across the suspension bridge in Clifton- it’s a fantastic spot for an afternoon walk. Not only are there gorgeous views across the south of the city, but the park is huge, with deer, the estate house, and gardens, with a small café on the side. The park is a popular spot for walking, running, cycling, golf, frisbee golf and football golf. There are woods and expansive wild grass fields to explore. 

Our suggestion is, to combine a stroll in this park with a walk across the famous Clifton Suspension bridge across the dramatic Avon gorge, and end up in the charming Clifton village for a spot of lunch or a drink or two.

Voi Tour of Bristol and Picnic in Downs 

A fun date idea is a Voi tour of the city. Take Vois from the harbour- and travel around the City Centre and up white ladies road. You could take a picnic up to the top or go for a coffee or drink on white ladies or Coldharbour road after. 

Voi’s are the Bristol electric scooters, on their site they have suggestions for great places to ride in Bristol. If you’ve never taken them before, check the website for some help with set-up. 

Pottery at Kiln 

Paint your own pottery at Kiln. This is a lovely creative date, spend an hour or two painting pottery and creating something beautiful. Creative, energy is one of the loveliest, most positive atmospheres for a fantastic date night.

You can book a table and session, or on Thursday evenings they run a BYO evening. See their website here for bookings.

Cycle to Pill and Pub 

From Bristol City Centre, you can follow the Pill path, along the Avon gorge, to the village of Pill. It’s a long walk but a nice cycle- the path is well maintained but not tarmacked- better suited to a mountain bike than a road bike (particularly if it’s wet and muddy). It might take about an hour.

We suggest a late morning start, a drink or lunch at the other end, either somewhere in Pill or a packed picnic and a later afternoon cycle back. 

Better by bike have this circular route from Ashton to pill, in their route, they come back along the pill path (or you could take the same path there and back- it’s nicer than the road!

Clevedon Swim and Fish and Chips 

Clevedon is a seaside town very close to Bristol and accessible by public transport or a 30-minute drive. Although it’s on the beach- you can’t easily swim in the sea because it is highly tidal. However- there is a fantastic marine lake – sea water, and naturally crisp, cold temperatures. It’s a great fun hangout for serious cold water swimmers and families or groups of any age alike. 

In the summer groups gather for barbeques along the concrete steps. You could combine a crisp refreshing swim, with fish and chips afterwards- this is also a fantastic sunset spot- and in summer months the sun will set over the pool’s infinity ledge. 

Ashton Court and cycle and drink 

Ashton Court is an estate park across the suspension bridge from Clifton village. Around the park, there are some great, short-cycle routes. You could combine an afternoon cycle with a few drinks round the harbourside after. 

Our suggestions are wild boar or the pump house- though we also have a post on the best harborside restaurants and best harbourside bars if you’re interested. 

Beat the clock Mondays at Zero Degrees Microbrewery

The Zero Degrees Brewery offer a special beat-the-clock deal on Mondays. Pizza at the price of the time after 5 pm on Mondays (if you arrive at 5, pizza for £5, if you arrive at 6, Pizzas for £6) and the pizzas are good! Double-check they’re running on their FB page here.

What’s more, you can taste their own brand beers- my favourites are the mango IPA and the stout. The staff are welcoming- and happy to offer suggestions.

The place itself is an industrial-style, colourful hall space, with a lot of little balconies, staggered down the Christmas steps path that gets hit by the afternoon sun on a summer’s day.

Tabacco factory (Theater and bar)

The Tobacco factory in North Street is a bit of an institution in Bristol. It’s a very cool venue, set in an old tobacco factory (!), with a spacious relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

They put on modern, creative and experimental theatre pieces in the theatre upstairs while the industrial chic bar has a good range of drinks and fresh, seasonal food, sourced from the five-acre farm shop.

See the website for what’s on in the theatre here.

Cycle to Bath and Pub 

If you’re into sporty dates, the Bristol to Bath cycle route is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. It’s 13 miles, mostly flat so might take between 1 and 2.5 hours to complete, depending on cycle speed. 

The path goes through other suburbs of bristol, woodland, along historic rail tracks and along the river as it enters into Bath city. Just before the cycle into the city- there are stunning views over the sprawling hills of the southwest countryside.

Halfway there is a tavern with coffee and food and when you arrive in Bath there are fabulous eatery options and the chance to walk around the historic city, which is a favourite tourist spot for many day and weekend visitors. 

Bath is always lively- there are street musicians and tourists and in the winter, Bath is host to a fabulous german style Christmas market.

You can either cycle back, or, you can book your bike onto a GWR train service for an affordable price.

Clevedon Sunset and Fish and Chips 

Clevedon is a seaside town near Bristol- with a small beach area, a marine pool, a pub, and a field with a great playground and often hosts summer fairs and a little line of kiosks like fish and chips and ice cream shops. 

The beach itself comes and goes depending on the tide, but you can take a great walk along the promenade and up the pier. In summer it’s a great sunset spot- as the sun goes down over the water. 

This would be a lovely place to come for some romantic sea air and some fish and chips (and although the beach is not the most beautiful- the seafront has a certain English charm to it. 

Visit Nuney Castle 

Nuney castle is a medieval castle, now taken care of by English heritage and makes a lovely stop for a wander around. The castle stands tall, surrounded by a moat. It’s free to visit, and there is a free car park just a couple of minutes away.

It is about a 50-minute drive from Bristol- so we suggest a driving date with a quick visit to the castle and a pub dinner after somewhere en route back. You won’t need hours in the castle- so it’s a nice low-key visit.

Check the castle out on the English Heritage page here. It’s about a 50-minute drive from Bristol, and close to the famous market town of Frome.

Salsa Fix Mondays at Southbank 

The Southbank Community Center in Bedminster, very close to whapping wharf and the river, do salsa classes on Mondays. What’s great is you can book a 4-week course so you’ll both finish the course knowing a new skill- and classes are followed by a social dance afterwards.

This is a brilliant idea for a date, it’s fun, there’s great music- lots of people and it’s physical and it’s a good laugh.

There is also Wednesday Cuban Salsa at Malcolm x and Havanna salsa in Easton that we can recommend- or check online for many other options..

Wine tasting at KASK 

KASK is a great, modern, and welcoming wine bar on North Street in Bedminster and they offer wine-tasting nights which could be a fantastic date night activity.

They run two types of evenings- one is a wine and cheese tasting at £35 per person. The other is a fun evening called ‘pour decisions’ –  their budget-friendly night-, usually on the second and 4th Wednesday of each month at £5 per ticket which covers your first drink and you can choose how many you taste. It’s like a pay-as-you-go £5 per glass- low key and a fun way to sample lots of new flavours.

See the page for booking both events here. If wine tasting sounds fun- there are plenty of places to do this in bristol- you might like our guide to winebars in bristol with a summary of some of the other tasting sessions on offer!

Chance & Counters

Chance & Counters tucked away at the bottom of the Christmas steps is a fantastic board game cafe/pub. Serving hearty seasonal food and with a nice range of draught and cider lines- the pub alone is a great spot- not to mention their range of 800+ games to choose from.

This is a lovely idea for a date evening. It is a very popular spot so during the week it’s best to book- you can do that here. This is also a lovely idea for a rainy day weekend date in the city.

Cosy up, play some games, and enjoy each others company. There is another popular board game cafe in Bristol called Replay (website here)– another place to try if you love the idea.

Roller Disco 

BUMP roller disco in Redcliffe could be a really fun- quirky date idea. There is a DJ, there are bright lights, glitter and it’s a good laugh. What’s more, it’s in town so plenty of opportunities to go out for a drink after.

Check their page here for evening sessions and booking. They do 8-10 pm adult evenings where tickets cost up to £13.50 all included with skates, protection and entry.  It costs less if you have your own kit to bring!

Water Shed Cinema 

Right on Bristol’s harbourside, watershed cinema is a cultural cinema, showcasing local and international independent film and arts. See their ‘whats on’ page here.

As well as the showing in their cinema screens, the venue of often home to talks, and discussion sharing of progressive ideas and artistic expressions. 

The venue has a gorgeous exposed brick and warm-lit cafe with drinks sharing plates, light bites and main meals- all prepared fresh and with great vegetarian and vegan ranges. Watershed is more than just a cinema, and this makes for a lovely environment for a date night.

Everyman Cinema and Cocktails 

Everyman is a chain of luxurious cinemas- it’s nationwide and the bristol branch, on Whiteladies road, set in an old theatre venue does not disappoint. This is a great place for a date. 

With reclining sofas and mini tables, you can get food and drink service to your seats- and this makes the evening into an experience and a place to relax and enjoy, rather than a more typical in-and-out cinema date.  

We suggest cocktails and some sharing food with a movie! We also recommend a drink in their bar beforehand- the grand art deco foyer is a lovely place to start the night. See their website and booking page here.

Live theatre in the cinema 

In many cinemas around bristol, you can watch live filmed screenings of theatre shows live from London or elsewhere. There is really a different feel to a live screening of theatre, compared with a movie and this can make for a great date idea.

A number of companies offer this- so it’s best to check with the company’s website directly to see what’s on. The national theatre in London has a lot of live season tickets (see their website here, and select showings in Bristol), or you could watch Ballet or Opera during the Royal Opera house cinema season (see the site and offerings here).

These get streamed to a number of cinemas- Showcase Deluxe and the Everyman Cinema often offer these so you can search around for the performance that best suits you! Make an evening of it and go for a pre-theatre dinner too!

Harbour House- River View Dining 

Harbour House is a great luxus-chic-maritime-themed bar restaurant, right on the harbourside in bristol. Their website (link here) gives a 360 tour of the warm warehouse chic, thick wood and rope decorated interior and stunning veranda that overlooks the river. 

This is a lovely dinner spot for a special date night. They do high quality, seasonal lunches, dinners and Sunday roasts and excellent bar ranges with extensive wines and gin lists. This place is popular for private functions and weddings it has a very beautifully curated atmosphere.

Harbourside circular and Pizza at Stables 

There is a lovely harbourside loop- around 4,5 km, along well-maintained paths around the harbourside in central Bristol. This is a great walk for a summer’s day, but also a nice option for an evening walk- as the paths are well-lit- and the nighttime lighting reflecting off the river is stunning! 

On the way, you’ll pass the marina, Bansky’s famous ‘girl with a pear earring’ street art, and the SS Great Britain. The walk might take about 45 minutes, and we suggest ending up in town for a drink or two or for dinner! 

There are two great options for this- you can meet on the waterfront and go for dinner at the stables pizza and cider bar. Or you can end up in whapping wharf- on the south side of the river and grab a drink at the wild boar, or dinner and drinks at the olive shed tapas. 

(In fact- if a harbourside walk sounds good- you might like this post on Bristol’s best harborside restaurants and bars for inspiration on where to end up) 

Boat trip and tea 

Bristol Packet boat trip company offers a range of fantastic river excursions that could be a wonderful quirky date idea! Sometimes it’s great fun to be a tourist in your own city- and the history and culture of the bristol harbour are right and ready to be feasted on.

They offer City Dock tours of bristols maritime history, afternoon cream tea cruises, Avon gorge cruises, trips along the river to the popular Beeses Bar for a pint or a Sunday roast cruises and private hire options- so these days can be really fun!

See their website for packages and bookings– these operate during the summer months (when it’s much more pleasant anyway!)

Blaize Castle Picnic and Take away 

Blaize Castle, in the north of Bristol, is an old folly on the top of a small hill surrounded by gorgeous woodlands, a small stream and lake, expansive fields and lots of mystical spots and legends. In other words, it’s a great park for a picnic or takeaway! 

There are playground areas and also lots of paths and tracks and viewpoints to disappear into. We suggest a lovely few hours here, morning or afternoon to enjoy some quality time.

There is a very nice cafe with coffee cakes and some food a the entrance by the car park, and occasionally a coffee cart by the folly. 

The views over the gorge are stunning! In fact, it’s featured on our post best views in bristol, which you might like to check out if this date idea appeals to you.

Events at Beeses 

Beeses is a popular riverside bar, just out of the city, and along the river towards Bath direction. Open in the summer months, this place has a great mix, of vibrant, colourful bristol, great music and food events, and a countryside, riverfront feel. 

As well as being a lovely place to go for drinks and food- they host a lot of events so you can check their what’s on page. They also do live music every Friday! Boats run there from town especially- check details on their website.

If you enter from the other side of the river- they have a little boat to shuttle people over which is a fun quirk! (check it’s running through!)

Cocktail design and creations 

Cocktail making for two can be a fun evening activity and a slightly creative twist on a cocktail night out!

There are a number of places in Bristol that will offer this- but we actually think the BuyAGift site is fantastic for searching for options. Harvey Nichols does a session for two at £60, where you learn how to mix and design your own cocktail creations, with plenty of tasting and tips along the way.

Clay at Coronation 

On Saturday afternoons, potheads run an afternoon of playful pottery with pots, pints and pals! This is a really fun alternative, creative date idea. Play around with some clay to create your own plant pot and have a laugh in a fun, colourful old school community pub in Bedminster.

See details here and book– sometimes when the spots are full you can join the waiting list. It’s £28 per person for all the equipment and the pot ‘the hairstyle’ and it includes your first pint!

Old Vic Theater

The Old Vic is possibly Bristol’s biggest theatre. It is a grand interior, in a Georgian theatre building which has been modernised and shows many high-tech, modern and unusual theatre arts. 

The Old Vic is welcoming to all and shows a range of big-name touring theatre pieces and lesser-known, high-quality creations. They work to be inclusive to all and often offer very affordable tickets too.

There is a gorgeous, new modern, spacious bar. It is also in the heart of the city on historic, cobbles King Street with a multitude of fantastic places for a drink and some food.

See the theatre website here to see what’s on.

Life Drawing at the Tobacco Factory 

The tobacco factor is a thriving bar/cafe restaurant on North street in bristol. Set in an old tobacco factory, the industrial chic decor and dark red curtains create a relaxed welcoming environment.

On Mondays, in the little side room, ‘the snug’, they do life drawing sessions. You can get a drink from the bar and spend a quiet, meditative couple of hours creating beautiful art. This is a really lovely alternative date idea, for beginner or experienced artists.

Tickets are £5 or £4 for students. See details on their website here or Facebook page here.

Comedy at The White Bear

Comedy on a date can be risky or great fun! Bristol has a thriving scene for comedy- established and experimental- and it can make for a very fun date night.

The white bear is a pub in Cotham with many comedy events in the theatre area ‘The Room Above’. There are a lot of places around the city offering comedy though. You can see details of the different places and the type of shows they put on here.

We have another post all about the comedy scene in Bristol if you feel like exploring this idea further.

Live Music at Gallimaufry 

The Gallimaufry is a great pub and restaurant on Gloucester road, it’s colourful, vibrant and a bit quirky. They serve local ales and have a fantastic kitchen with a seasonal menu.

They have live music most evenings- and show some fantastic local and international, travelling artists. You can see what’s coming up on their website here. Or for more info about the music scene in Bristol– we have another post with details of what to find where.

The farm and the farm pub 

In St Werburghs is a city farm which is a fun quirky date idea. It’s free, take a stroll, watch some of the animals and then go to the nearby ‘Farm’ Pub, a well-known joint in the St Werburghs area. 

The pub does good drinks and nice food. It’s a great place for good weather as the main space is outside in the front garden which is filled with picnic benches and umbrellas.

Korean food at Sky Kong Kong

There is a quirky Korean restaurant near the bear pit in Bristol. It’s a bit of a fun, unusual dining experience. You show up, and there is no menu, and instead, you are brought delicious home-kitchen style meals, often small plates in a multi-course meal. 

There is a main table down the middle, that is shared as it’s a small place- so not if you’re wanting privacy but a nice option for a bit of a different dinner date experience. Here is a link to their trip advisor site.

Making Pizzas

This is a fun alternative date idea, held at the pizza workshop on Whiteladies road. For £45 per person, you get the workshops, a welcome prosecco or beer, olives and garlic bread, and, of course, your expertly hand-made pizza! 

You get taught how to make real, authentic Neapolitan pizza dough. A fun night- and you come away with a gift!

You can book on the class-bento site here.

The Fleece for Live Music

The fleece is an iconic live music venue in Bristol. If you’re music lovers or fans of a live music atmosphere this is one of Bristol’s greatest spots to check out. See what’s on here.

We also have a guide on the music scene in bristol for more details on places to check for gigs and tours if you’re keen on this idea.

Making soap

In the south of Bristol, in the Windmill Hill area, Margaret May Soaps runs date night soap-making workshops for couples. This is a unique opportunity to learn a new craft- and could be a great deal of fun!

The session is catered with cake and drinks, and you’ll come away with 5 or 6 bars from a soap loaf and a new skill. For something a bit different and definitely quirky- this could be a fantastic date idea. The sessions cost £55 per person. See details to book here.

Cookery Class at papadeli 

Papadeli is a gorgeous deli and fine foods shop in the Clifton down area of Bristol. It’s the kind of place that fills a foodie’s heart. 

They offer really high-quality cooking workshops- where you spend most of a day and make a range of themes cuisine dishes; ‘Korean inspired’, ‘winter Tuscan feast’, ‘middle eastern’, ‘Sicilian’ and many more unique offerings.

A high price (at around £120)- but a really fantastic experience for foodie couples, this would be an absolute winner for a date night. If you can book! The classes are very popular and sell out quickly so if it sounds good they have a waiting list you can join to be sure to get a space for the next round. See details on their website here.

Papadeli is one of Bristol’s most wonderful deli’s- its featured in our post on Bristol’s best delis and quality food shops.

Play pool 

A very fun and simple idea for a date is a game or two of pool in one of bristol’s fantastic pubs or game halls. We suggest a game hall with a bookable table for a date so ensure a space, and then a drink after- looser buys.

You can book a table in lane 7, the lanes, all stars …or any other place with pool tables!

Play darts in a cocktail bar

The flight club is a cocktail bar and cool darts hall on Corn Street in central bristol. This is a really fun, light-hearted date opportunity- a chance to get your competitive side on and an affordable, good time!

Play arcade games 

Four Quarters is an arcade bar on park street in Bristol. With a totally retro gaming vibe and over 20 original arcade machines, they value authenticity and gaming experience above all else. “Restored for nostalgia and new experiences alike”

The place has a great bar with local brewery beers and a good range of cocktails. You can book a bar table on their website here.

Golf driving range or Jungle mini golf 

Another quirky and sporty date suggestion is the golf driving range in Filton. For golf lovers this can be a great few hours spent together, doing something active and having lots of fun!

To less sporty golfers- the jungle minigolf in Cabot Circus is a good laugh! With a great bar, atmospheric jungle gold course and food, this can be a really fun night- and it’s in Cabot circus right in the centre of bristol and close to all busses! See their site here to get an idea of the vibe. Play for an adult with one drink included is around £14.

Ice skating in Filton

Ice planet is a huge community Ice rink in Cribbs Causeway. This is a fab idea for a date- they offer coffee skate and public skating sessions during the day, but we love the evening sub-zero-disco sessions.

This is a fun, active date that will leave you refreshed and energetic! Tickets are around £10-15 per adult- depending on the session booked. Book here.

Ping pong in Park 

This is simple- but definitely good fun! You don’t always need elaborate date ideas- sometimes a free ping-pong table is all you need.

In Eastville Park, there are two tables, and if you catch them, Kind Regards Coffee van serves fantastic coffees and toasties! You can see their open days on Instagram here!

Otherwise, you can also play ping pong on free tables in Montpellier park (a lovely park), St Georges park (where there is also a cafe) and Dame Emily park (only 1 table).

If you like the idea- here is a cool UK site to see where tables are available.

Gin Tasting at Bristol Dry Gin

Bristol Dry Gin Offer Gin tasting. At £32 per person, they welcome people into small group sessions for relaxed but interesting sessions where you learn about the craft of gin distilling and walked through the samples that are offered.

They offer Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening sessions at the Rumer hotel, right in the city centre, near corn street. See details on their website here.

If your date is an absolute gin lover, you may also like our guide to Bristol’s best gin bars.

Whiskey Tasting and Drinking 

For Whisky lovers, there is a special whiskey vault hidden in a secretive room in the award-winning prohibition Cocktail Bar Milk Thistle. Book a table and you can be offered a speciality whisky tasting with an excellent range of bottles from around the world.

This is one of Bristol’s finest Cocktail Bars. See details on their website here. We actually have another whole post about Bristol’s best cocktail bars, which you might like to browse, if specilaity whiskey drinking is your thing.