Date ideas in Leeds
A film at the Hyde Park Picture House, a walk through the arcades, dinner in the Corn Exchange quarter, cocktails on Call Lane: Leeds does an unshowy, good-value date.
13 picks that fit, best first. The order follows the live forecast and the time of day.
Victoria Quarter and the arcades
Briggate
Marble, mosaic and stained glass: the Victorian arcades that made Leeds a shopping city.
Rain is due later, and this is under cover. Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen
Cross Belgrave Street
Three floors of pizza, burgers, gigs and a rooftop terrace in a former working men’s club.
Rain is due later, and this is under cover. Good in the evening.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Call Lane and the Corn Exchange quarter
Call Lane
The city’s densest run of bars and restaurants, from cocktail cellars to late-night rooftops.
Rain is due later, and this is under cover. Good in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
Kirkstall Abbey
Kirkstall
The ruins of a Cistercian abbey in a riverside park, free, with a museum of Victorian streets over the road.
Go now, before the rain arrives. Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Leeds Dock and the waterfront
Leeds Dock
A walk along the Aire and the canal from the station to the dock, with bars on the water.
Timed right for sunset. Go now, before the rain arrives. Good in the evening.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
Otley Chevin
Otley
A forest park on a ridge above Otley with a view over Wharfedale and the airport’s planes.
Timed right for sunset. Go now, before the rain arrives. Good in the evening.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
Hyde Park Picture House
Hyde Park
A gas-lit Edwardian cinema showing independent and classic films, restored and reopened.
Rain is due later, and this is under cover. Good in the evening.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Leeds Grand Theatre
New Briggate
A gilded Victorian theatre that is home to Opera North and the big touring musicals.
Rain is due later, and this is under cover. Good in the evening.
- Over £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Leeds Playhouse
Quarry Hill
One of the country’s best producing theatres, with new work and big revivals on two stages.
Rain is due later, and this is under cover. Good in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute
The Headrow
A strong twentieth-century British collection and a sculpture institute next door, both free.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Roundhay Park and Tropical World
Roundhay
Seven hundred acres of lakes, woods and lawns, with a tropical glasshouse of butterflies and meerkats.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Park free; Tropical World cheap
Leeds Corn Exchange
Call Lane
A Victorian domed trading hall full of independent shops, cafés and makers.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Harewood House
Harewood
A great Georgian house with Chippendale furniture, a bird garden and Capability Brown grounds.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Over £25
- In and out
- A full day
- Good with kids
Good to know
What is a good date idea in Leeds?
A film at the Hyde Park Picture House, a walk through the arcades, dinner in the Corn Exchange quarter, cocktails on Call Lane: Leeds does an unshowy, good-value date. There are 13 ideas here, ranked for the conditions right now, with viewpoints pushed up around sunset and indoor picks pushed up when it rains.
Are there cheap date ideas in Leeds?
Plenty. Look for the "Free" and "Cheap" labels: galleries, viewpoints and walks make good first dates and cost little or nothing.