Believe it or not, Battersea is more than just home to the Pink Floyd power station. (If you know, you know.) Professionals from across the capital flock to the South London district’s countless buzzing venues, ideal for a first date no matter your interests or vibe. The area boasts cracking nightlife, brimming with live entertainment, sultry cocktail joints and snazzy party palaces.
Bursting with sleek independent restaurants, cosy pubs full of nooks and laidback cafes where they know you by name, Battersea has truly made a name for itself in recent times as one of the most socially active places in all of London. It’s a haven for big kids as well as little ones, with a slightly more refined atmosphere than neighbouring Clapham. With extensive riverside walks, stunning green spaces and beautiful leafy streets lined with cherry trees, you’ll soon see why Battersea is such a popular spot for slow Sundays, balmy evening pints and wild nights out—in equal measure. Here are our top 5 first date venues in Battersea.
1. Sugar Cane Bar
247 Lavender Hill, SW11 1JW
E komo mai! (That’s Hawaiian for Welcome, don’t you know.) No self-respecting capital city suburb is complete without a tiki bar—and boy is Battersea’s one of the finest you’ll encounter. Sugar Cane Bar is a haven of quirky beverages, lovingly infused before your eyes with exotic ingredients amid inspirational South Pacific–themed interiors—perfect for showing your date a truly alternative night out. Escape to the tropics of Battersea, a veritable paradise of private huts, adorned princes chairs, exotic flowers, bamboo, woven banana leaves, lush green palms… And don’t forget the traditional tiki face cocktail glasses, of course!
In Sugar Cane Bar you’ll truly feel like you’re right in the heart of Eden for a little while. Explore the colourful and cosy garden, ideal for a hot night with your hot first date or just taking in the riverside air in their lovely company. Sugar Cane Bar is easily one of the most stunning venues in all of South London, but without the hefty price tag that’s associated with most other establishments of equal character and joy. Choose from a fabulous selection of traditional tiki cocktails and South Pacific rums, as well as a number of intriguing rare spirits—all served up in seashells and miniature canoes, naturellement.
2. Tequila Mockingbird
46 Battersea Rise, SW11 1EE
Tequila Mockingbird aren’t shy when it comes to crafting creative mixes destined to tickle thy taste buds—and you’re in for a treat if you get there for 2-4-1 before 8pm. Just a short walk from Clapham Junction Station, Tequila Mockingbird spreads lavishly over two neon-walled storeys, its bouncing dancefloors the perfect place to get a little closer with your date after an exquisite cocktail or two.
Matchmaker Tip:
Does your date know how to live la vida loca? They will after they’ve experienced Tequila Mockingbird’s La Fiesta Bottomless Brunch. Think sombreros, burlesque dancing—and 90 minutes of bottomless prosecco, frozen margaritas, beer and pizza. Get ready for a journey through an array of novelty party games, of flamenco, limbo—and the much-coveted piñata, of course. Your lover won’t ever have had a first date quite like this!
Tequila Mockingbird
3. Vagabond
Battersea Power Station, SW11 8EZ
Restaurant–wine bars don’t come any finer than Vagabond. If you’re a meal-on-the-first-date kinda guy or gal, the menu’s stuffed with enticing dishes for carnivores and veggies alike. And with over 100 wines to choose from, you and your date are guaranteed to find the perfect red or white to complement your sumptuous dinner. Whether you head to Vagabond as your final destination or you nip in en route elsewhere, there’s nowhere better for a late-night nibble and a tipple or three.
Vagabond even boasts its very own in-house Urban Winery, where you can witness winemaking firsthand over a swanky glass of pinot noir—while showing off your profound knowledge of viticulture from your time in the vineyards of Bordeaux, of course. (Or, y’know, winging it a little.) And if wine ain’t your game, Vagabond’s got you covered—there’s a whole host of delectable craft beers on tap, ready to wet your whistle and talk smooth first-date talk to your hot companion for the evening.
4. The Lighthouse
441 Battersea Park Rd, SW11 4LR
The Lighthouse is your quintessential British boozer, a charmingly humble gastropub with a menu chock-a-block with delicious seasonal fare and a majestically eclectic beer list. A beacon of home comforts, hearty meals and a spacious south-facing garden ideal for soaking in some South London ambience as you lose yourself for hours in your date’s company, The Lighthouse has been shining its warm inviting light for some years now on Battersea and beyond, enticing Londoners far and wide to come and sample the very best of British produce, laid out on a rotating menu whose prize plates extol the finest meat, fish and veg sourced from all across the UK. Remember to head to the cosy fire to round off a memorable first date on a dark winter’s night.
5. Mondo Brewing Company
86 Stewart’s Rd, SW8 4UG
Heading on a date with a beer buff, or something of a whizz yourself? Get some of the good stuff at source—head on down to Mondo Brewing Company, tucked away by Battersea Power Station. It was founded by brewers, it’s owned by brewers, and it’s run by brewers. The team’s been pouring perfect pints of lager and IPA for almost a decade, and the taphouse showcases both fan favourites and excellent guest beers (and ciders, of course, for the heathens among ye). Mondo Brewing Company’s passion for all things beer is palpable: when they’re not brewing bold and balanced beers on the big kit they’re investing in educating their growing team and experimenting on their pilot kit. These guys are serious about their craft, about the quality laced through every drop. So if you or your date is a discerning drinker or you want to show off your profound brewing knowledge over a crisp pint, well—you know where to go.
Can’t find that romantic spot in Battersea? why not hop over the river to find a date night in Chelsea.
If you are ready to meet someone special, contact the friendly award winning matchmakers at Drawing Down the Moon Matchmaking.
