Leeds Dating with Flirtio

Kirkstall Abbey is situated in a beautiful setting, with a visitor centre and idyllic picturesque woodland walks along the River Aire. At over 800 years old, founded in approximately 1152AD, the well preserved Cistercian abbey can tell a story or two and boasts incredible architecture. There is also an interactive visitor centre where you are able to further explore the history of the abbey and learn more about the hardships of the monks.

Roundhay Park, one of the biggest city urban spaces in Europe. Boasting magnificent scenery and tranquil walks, Roundhay makes for a perfect date. Enjoy woodland walks, appreciate the beautiful lakes and visit Tropical world, home to an array of creatures including Butterfly World, meerkats, turtles, fish reptiles and birds. There is Lakeside Cafe where you can grab a drink and a snack, or the Garden Room Cafe at the Mansion, or you can take a blanket and picnic and marvel at what the park has to offer throughout each season.

From the Armouries Museum, you can walk along the River Aire from Leeds Dock and it continues to be a stunning walk. If you fancy a more leisurely viewing experience, jump on the Water Taxi which is free and runs approximately every 15 minutes. You can make it as long or short as you like and there is lots to see along the route. Stop further up at Granary Wharf, and you will not be disappointed. With an array of bars and eateries, including Japanese, Italian and tapas, dinner and drinks could make a nice end to the day. For the ultimate, visit Sky Lounge, the rooftop bar for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea. Enjoy fabulous cocktails as the sun sets over Leeds from the heated terrace.

If you desire a decent fine-dining experience, Dakota Bar and Grill couldn’t come any more highly recommended. With a glamorous bar setting and mouth-watering menus and attentive yet non-intrusive staff, this is the place to go. Using seasonal produce, steaks from grass-fed cattle and vegetarian options, you will without a doubt enjoy a sumptuous meal. The cocktails in the evening are not to be missed either! An altogether lavish experience.

You can always grab good food without breaking the bank. The Whitehall Restaurant and Bar has an extensive menu, catering for all requirements and with friendly, vigilant staff, the restaurant is highly praised. In the summer months, you can also dine outside on the terrace. If you chose from the a la carte or lunch menu on a Saturday afternoon, you can also upgrade to a ‘free flow fizz’ with prosecco or champagne for a small fee and it lasts for 90 minutes.

This welcoming Northern city also offers dating with a difference. If you are both animal lovers, or more specifically, feline lovers, how about a coffee and a catch up at the Kitty Cafe? They also have a great menu, from pizzas to wraps and a wide choice of sides, just purr-fect for a lunch date!

Millennium Square is a large outdoor area with an array of bars and restaurants nearby and a large outdoor screen. Perfect for that warm afternoon and evening, where you can have a drink and catch up together, with the added security of people being around you if it’s your first date. Millennium Square also hosts various live events, so keep your eye on their “What’s On” page for events that you and your date could share together.

Leeds is home to a number of interesting museums and galleries. The Thackray Museum gives a fantastic glimpse of medical history over the years. There is a reconstructed street from 200 years ago, equipped with sights and smells of the past, giving you a sensory experience while showing you just how far we’ve come with medical advances over the decades.

Leeds City Museum has a huge amount to see, from the ancient world and thereon. Involving the Egyptian times, Romans and Greeks through to Leeds’ modern links with Asia. There are 800,000 animal, vegetable and mineral specimens, some prehistoric and fossilised. There is a good cafe on site, which in the warmer months, you can sit out and enjoy the views of Millenium Square.

Leeds Art Gallery, a free attraction, owns a stunning collection of British contemporary and modern art. You can view assortments of Victorian art and there is a piece by Damien Hurst – ‘Black Sheep With Golden Horns’. The Tiled Hall, where the cafe is situated, is well worth looking at alone just for its sparkling ceiling and beautiful ceramic tiled walls. There are associated galleries to roam with exclusive exhibitions too.

For the shopaholics among us, Trinity Leeds has so much to offer, including dining and entertainment. There is a great variety of shops to peruse, and cafes, bars, restaurants and a cinema, leaving you plenty of options to choose from for that perfect date night.

There is so much more to Leeds than meets the eye. As Covid restrictions begin to lift in the future, it is likely that Leeds Festival at Bramham Park will resume and also the West Indian Carnival. Who said a date had to be run-of-the-mill?