Whether you are in the early stages of your relationship, or you have been married for 30 years and have 7 children, I guarantee you will find some cool date ideas here for you.
1. Coffee
A coffee date has got to be the easiest and most unassuming first date you could go on. My husband and I often have coffee dates, but I still remember that first one.
This is a tried and tested date idea but why not spice up your coffee date with a slight twist on the traditional. 
Buy take-away coffee from a mobile coffee vendor and stroll around a busy weekend flea market with your date.
This is a great way to get to know if you are compatible by finding out what kind of stalls grab your date’s attention.
Pros:
-
You might find a quirky gift for yourself (or your partner) at a market.
-
Long lasting date with plenty of opportunities to hold hands strolling and to get close to each other while checking out stalls.
-
You can finish your coffee and then bail quickly if you are not enjoying yourself.
Cons:
-
What if they don’t like coffee?
2. Movies
Another classic date idea which needs a make-over.
Teenage dirtbag romance often blossomed in the cinema as a way to sit in the dark holding hands or making out for a couple of hours away from the watchful eyes of your parents.
When you are no longer a teen, sitting quietly in the dark is not the best option for early dates because you are wasting 2 hours of valuable conversation time.
Further on in your relationship you might tend to actually appreciate the quiet time in a cinema. I know with the kids always badgering me for something I look forward to going back to the movies with my husband for some peace and quiet. Hell, I would even go by myself!
To make the movie-going experience more impressive, try a Gold Experience Cinema where you are seated in recliner lounges with waiters serving you champagne and canapes.
out under the stars are totally romantic. Or go to a premiere of a new arthouse flick at the Dendy cinema.
Got a revived drive-in near where you live? This is the ultimate date night. Make it even more special by renting a convertible for the occasion!
Pros:
-
Dark, plenty of opportunities to be intimate.
-
Good conversation fodder for a post-movie review.
-
A horror movie is great for bonding and cuddles.
-
Popcorn.
-
You can say you are going to the toilet and simply not come back if its going badly.
Cons:
-
Movie choice will make or break your date.
-
No talking for 2 hours (which can also be a pro!)
3. Dinner
I love going out for dinner with my loved one. We try to do it as often as we can, both with and without the kids in tow. Our choice of restaurants can be a tad more sophisticated when it is just us of course.
To make a standard dinner date all the more interesting, you could try a progressive dinner. This is when you start at a restaurant for an entree, then move to another separate restaurant for a main, then yet another for dessert, and one more for apperitifs. This is a fun way to make dinner last all night!
A theatre restaurant is another cool option where you get entertainment included in the price of the meal.
Try a cooking class. A lot of restaurants offer couples cooking classes 
which have you prepare an authentic meal under the direction of a qualified chef. Then you sit down together and consume your fabulous meal.
We did one in Thailand and it was the best meal ever! First we went to the local market with the Thai chef to source all of the freshest ingredient. Then we prepared everything side by side in matching aprons with matching woks on matching gas fires. We literally rolled out of there after eating so much amazing Thai food made even more special because we actually created it ourselves!
Teppanyaki is a super cool way to eat your
food, another great variation on a dinner date. This is a unique culinary experience with its heritage in Japan. The chefs chop and grill delicious morsels with dramatic flair on a sizzling grill right at your table. Then they deliver these bites expertly to your plate through the air with a flick of a wrist. Teppanyaki is a cultural experience that certainly makes for a more exciting date.
When we were younger we left Australia for a working holiday in London. There was this restaurant there that was pitch black and the waiters wore night-vision goggles. The concept was that seeing your food gave you a pre-disposition towards how it was going to taste. So by removing that sense of sight, you got the real flavour of the food. Now that is a cool date idea!
Picnics are romantic. Pack everything into a hamper, grab a blanket and head to a nice green park to relax in the sun on a perfect day. Bliss!
Pros:
-
Good food leads to stimulating conversation.
-
Lots of eye contact.
-
Atmospheric.
Cons:
-
Could be costly depending on your choice of restaurant.
-
Choose cuisine type wisely considering dietary requirements or preferences of your date.
-
If a dinner date occurs early on in your relationship, there may be discrepancies over who pays for dinner. This can be a tricky one. I’m a traditionalist at heart so I believe that whoever instigated the date should pay. Not necessarily the man. Splitting the bill is an option if it is easily done, but many restaurants will only give one bill per table. If it gets awkward, try paying in secret on your way back from the bathroom so you don’t get a bill to your table, so the issue doesn’t arise. If you want a follow up date, this may give you an opportunity to say ‘you can pay next time’ and guarantee a second date.
4. Get Physical
There are many cool date ideas to be found at your local sports centre.
Try a gym class or do a workout together. Go for a walk or bike ride. Try rockclimbing or stand-up paddleboarding.
This week Brian and I are going to try out a rock and roll dancing class together. How fun!
Our next event is going to be Mud Run. These messy obstacle courses have gained huge popularity over the last few years. What better way to cement your bond then to get filthy and competitive together!
Pros:
-
Great way to show off your coordination and physical skills.
-
Awesome opportunity for sexy gym clothes and to check each other out.
Cons:
-
Some people are just not into physical activity so I wouldn’t recommend going rockclimbing for a first date in case they absolutely couldn’t think of anything worse! Leave it for a 3rd or 4th date once you have gotten to know each others likes/dislikes.
5. Go To A Performance
Maybe your favourite band is in town, or maybe it is hers. Perhaps its the 
theatre or the ballet or the opera.
Whatever the show, attending a concert or the theatre is a super cool date idea.
One of our early dates was to see a local amateur production of Les Miserables at the theatre. Now, going to musical theatre is a pretty brave idea for a fledgling relationship. It really tests the waters. But luckily for me, the gamble paid off and he loved it!
Pros:
-
A little bit more glamorous than the aforementioned dates.
-
Opportunity to dress up to the nines.
-
Lots of intimacy with the need to lean in close and whisper commentary.
Cons:
-
Some people are incredibly divided when it comes to theatre of any kind so please pick your events carefully. Not everyone would love Les Mis (gasp), or Guns and Roses. Know your partner!
6. Date Night at Home
If all the other cool date night ideas have been done already, or you just feel like keeping it low key, we will occasionally have a date night at home.
It is a really simple, cheap and special way to spend time with your special someone without spending a fortune.
We like to dress up, cook a fabulous dinner, eat by candlelight with our favourite tunes playing on the wireless speaker. Then we might have a bottle of wine, have a dance and re-live some great songs from the 80s and 90s (our formative years)!
You could even be even more low key and order pizza delivery and curl up for a movie on the couch together. This is still a date!
It’s quality time spent together and it makes your bond stronger and stronger each time you look into each others eyes, or laugh at each others jokes or learn something new about each other.
7. Take a Boat
Whether it is a rowboat around the pond at your local park, or a luxury sunset cruise on a yacht, there is nothing more romantic than being stuck in a boat on the water with your loved one.
There are heaps of cruising coupons found on daily deal sites such as Groupon if you live somewhere near water.
Pros:
-
Super romantic, especially for the sunset.
Cons:
-
A seasick prone partner will not enjoy a cruise if they are green around the gills with no escape.
8. Head to the Spa
A wonderful idea if you both could really do with a relax and rejuvenation, many spas now offer couples’ packages. How about a side by side facial or massage treatment?
Pros:
-
Everyone enjoys being pampered.
Cons:
-
Um, none!
So whatever your preference, whatever stage of a relationship, whatever your budget, there are some cool date ideas above for you to explore.
Going on regular dates allows a couple to bond. My husband and I have been married for over 12 years but we still ensure to go on dates as often as we can. With small children at home, we need some dedicated time to ourselves once in a while to simply reconnect and have an uninterrupted conversation.
Do you have another special idea to add to the list?
Love,
