Planning a date can go a few different ways. You might ask your partner what they want to do and you receive the dreaded reply, “I don’t mind”. It could be a first date meaning there are so many other factors to consider — good lighting, avoiding messy foods, and an atmospheric setting. Or it could be the 500th date, in which case, you’ll want to keep the spark alive! Aside from agreeing on the perfect plan, the good news is that there is an endless list of date ideas in Brisbane. Stick to the ol’ reliables like going to the movies or bowling, or try something different altogether!
1. Enliven your senses at Dining in the Dark
Dare to don the blindfold and immerse yourself in the Dining in the Dark experience in Brisbane. Dining in the Dark entails indulging in a delicious three-course meal while only relying on your sense of taste, touch, and smell. If you and a special someone are looking for a unique way to shake up a typical date night, look no further than this tantalising experience and get your tickets on Fever now!
📍609/611 Stanley St, Woolloongabba
2. Play some mini golf
For decades mini golf has proven to be a popular idea for a date. There is something about the eccentric themes, bright colours, and variety of challenges that makes mini golf irresistible. Brisbane has a number of mini golf courses each offering different degrees of golf craziness. If you prefer to play outdoors, Victoria Park Putt Putt gives you the chance to confront a meandering course with unexpected twists and turns. You can enjoy the light-hearted perks of the game with the romantic view of Brisbane’s CBD skyline.
Holey Moley is an extreme form of mini golf designed for couples that prefer to plunge head first into an immersive round of golf. You can make yourselves at home here with a bar serving drinks and delicious food. After you’ve battled it out on the course, putt it behind you with a feed and a house signature cocktail.
📍309 Herston Rd, Herston
3. Charm your way into their hearts with a Candlelight concert
What could be more romantic than a room lit up solely by candles and a string quartet playing in the heart of it? Candlelight concerts have taken the world by storm and it’s easy to see why. In unique locations across Brisbane, you can catch a show celebrating classical greats such as Vivaldi or Tchaikovsky, tributes to current artists like Adele and Coldplay, and more, all taking place in historic buildings, such as St. John’s Cathedral. Secure your spot for any of them here.
4. Try your hand at bowling
Sometimes there is nothing better than a chilled-out activity in the company of your favourite person. Bowling sets a similar tone to mini golf. It’s an informal, fun way to spend time together. The retro interior of most bowling alleys, the sharing of shoes, and side-by-side laneways brings you back to the 8Os. Substitute a quiet dinner date with all of its ceremoniousness for stolen glances, flirtatious slagging, and comfort food.
It is easy to make a plan to go bowling because there are so many bowling alleys to choose from. Zone Bowling is one of the OG alleys in Australia with several of them spread across Queensland. If you’re looking for the classic bowling experience, Zone Bowling has you covered. For a more regal date night, Strike and Archie Brothers bring entertainment to another level. Tired of trying to get a strike? Try table tennis, arcade games, or laser tag instead.
5. Brave axe-throwing together
Leave behind soft romance and try your hand at axe-throwing—a therapeutic sport for you and your date to slash any unreleased frustration or to simply show off your strength. Organised activities like bowling or axe-throwing eliminate the unpleasant potential boredom that can takeover a date. Run with the theme and after an hour or two of hurling the sharp blade at a visible target, top it off with a hardy craft beer or dinner at a burger joint.
Travel back to the Middle Ages at somewhere with the aid of professionals. After an hour and a half of non-stop throwing, you’ll be ready for your flannel shirt and blue jeans. You can be a barbarian for a session at Maniax in Brisbane City and Newstead.
6. Revel in the romance of Ballet of Lights
Pirouette into a world of enchantment with Ballet of Lights, where Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty is reimagined in a sparkling new light. Taking place at the aptly named Princess Theatre, this extraordinary performance blends the timeless grace of ballet with the brilliance of glow-in-the-dark costumes. As the dancers glide across the stage, their costumes shift through a spectrum of colours. Don’t sleep on it, get your tickets here!
📍8 Annerley Rd, Woolloongabba
7. Keep it Smooth At A Jazz Bar
Oh the blues… who dares deny the sweeping sentimentality of skilful improvisation and irregular beats? The speakeasy vibes and dim lighting pervading jazz bars make them a great place for cosying up with your loved one. There are plenty of live jazz bars to be found in Brisbane where you can unwind and let the syncopated rhythms seep into your skin. If you and your partner are dog owners, bring your pooch along with you to The Charles’, a jazz bar and café serving a signature “Pup-fast menu”.
📍111 Mary St, Brisbane CBD
8. Catch a movie al fresco
People are drawn to the idea of sitting on the grass or driving up in their cars to watch a movie on a big screen. It brings people back to a simpler time and they fall for the romantic nostalgia of it all. Audiences watching al fresco are also not plagued by the heat in a movie theatre during the summer months.
For all you starry-eyed lovers in Brisbane, check out a showing at an open-air theatre. Dendy Powerhouse in New Farm Park and the seasonal Moonlight Cinema are musts if you want to shake up the traditional movie date.
9. Or take it back with old-school drive-in showings
Rolling up and aligning your car with your auto neighbours feels like the Utopia of modern dating. Make it even more special by bringing buttery popcorn and soft drinks, and return to the 1950s.
Yatala Drive-in is keeping old Hollywood traditions and outdoor theatre alive in Brisbane. They screen the latest films and classics (especially on special occasions like Valentine’s Day). After stationing your wagon, visit their snack bar and order a ‘Couples Combo’.
📍100 Stapylton Jacobs Well Rd, Stapylton
10. Get creative at paint/clay and sip classes
A class incorporating art and alcohol is the perfect plan for a quiet Sunday or weekday. The studios tend to be open spaces with calm atmospheres. Not only do you get to experience it with your date but there are also blissful moments of sheer concentration where you unlock your own artistic prowess. Whether you are a limited painter, questionable ceramicist, or art enthusiast, it’s hard to not find the fun in ‘Sip ‘n’ Dip’ classes.
Across all of Brisbane, you will find places providing classes such as these. You will generally discover places following a specific theme or honouring a celebrated artist such as ‘Pinot & Picasso’ or ‘Cork and Chroma‘. When it comes to going on a date, craftworks focus on tactile matters and provide a multi-sensory experience. Get to know your loved one’s true colours with pottery classes at ‘Colour my Pot’. They have a BYO drinks and snacks policy making an evening class at their studio very relaxing.
11. Sharpen your knives for some cooking classes
If you are the designated chef in the relationship, why not bring your partner to a cooking class to test their skills? Cooking and learning new techniques together establishes common ground in a relationship. Experimenting with new ingredients and tasting new flavours opens you up to new possibilities. Whatever you learn at the workshop you can bring home with you and apply in your own kitchen.
Depending on which cuisines you want to get a better understanding of, there are countless cooking classes spread across Brisbane. Remove yourselves from the confines of the kitchen and go on a culinary adventure with cooking schools like Taya Kitchen or Lumiere.
12. Go picnicking with a view
Sometimes it can be nice to go for a picnic together without seeing an open-air film or concert. Go to your favourite park or find the perfect spot under a shaded tree and switch the city’s urbanscape for some natural views. You could be that picture-perfect couple, one of you candidly resting your head on your significant other, and the other reading a book. Preparing the picnic is part of the fun. Surprise each other with a smorgasbord of tupperware delights to choose from. Bring some bubbles and don’t forget the essentials like cutlery!
Sit under the purple jacarandas in spring and afterward take a walk along the river. Take in the aesthetics at the City Botanic Gardens where you’ll see ornamental ponds, sculptures, and the Bamboo Grove.
SEE MORE: 7 Stunning Spots To See Brisbane’s Blooming Jacaranda Trees
13. Or scavenger-hunt your way through a mystery picnic
Like your dates with a side of riddles? This Mystery Picnic date will lead you across New Farm, exploring hidden gems and working with your partner to solve the delicious clues to collect your gourmet meal and get to your final stunning picnic destination. Picnic and a scavenger hunt is the new dinner and a show!
Book your spot, or get a loved one a gift card for Valentine’s Day, here.
13. Taste some delicious cheese & wine
If in doubt, wine out! The easy answer to an ideal date with your partner is transporting yourselves to the cheese havens of France or the vineyards of Italy. Swill glasses, sample seductive Camemberts, or share a charcuterie board.
There are a lot of noteworthy places in Brisbane for turophiles and honorary sommeliers. You can go to a rustic restaurant and order a board of cheeses or get inspired at Brisbane’s finest delicatessens and create your own selection. Visit Rosalie Gourmet Market in Paddington or Church Mouse Cheese in South Bank.
14. Put your teamwork to the test in an escape room
If trying your relationship in an enclosed space with a time limit sounds like the epitome of romance, an escape room is exactly what you’re looking for. Put you and your partner’s intellect — and patience — to the test in an escape room. With 9 differently-themed rooms to work your way out of, from high stakes logic-based scenarios to suspenseful thrillers, Fox in a Box is sure to keep you on your toes.
For a less traditional experience that is just as challenging, Hijinx Hotel will have you completing wacky challenges to advance through a set of 5 rooms. The activities range from physical — such as throwing a basketball through a hoop — to intellectual, like solving word scrambles, so you can play to each other’s strengths.
SEE MORE: 7 Of Brisbane’s Most Thrilling Escape Rooms To Break Free From
15. Race like your heart does when you see your date
Get your adrenaline going with some go-karting and channel your inner Mario racing down a 425m adrenalin-pumping track at Slideways Go Karting. Thanks to the two-storey track’s unique surface, you’ll able to drift, Fast & Furious-style, and even try to beat the fastest time of the month. Feel the thrill rushing down the high-speed ramp and overtake your competitors. Blue shells not included.
📍Various locations
16. Make your own gin
The aptly named Gin School will have you mixing up a storm after one of their comprehensive 3-hour classes. With 180 botanicals to chose from, you can truly make the gin your own and then take it home, but only after you have indulged in cocktails and charcuterie platters in their luxurious spice lounge. Book your class here!
📍109 Edward St, Brisbane CBD
17. Say ciao to love on a romantic gondola ride
When the moon hits you eye like a Brissy boat ride, that’s amore. With Golden Gondola, you don’t have to travel all the way to Venice to go on the gondola ride of your dreams. You’ll be literally and metaphorically floating as you’re gently rocked by the Brisbane River and take in the beautiful city views with that special someone. Different menus to choose from guarantee full bellies as well as hearts, and there’s even a dessert cruise, for couples with a sweet tooth!
📍40 Ross St, Newstead
18-22. Miscellaneous suggestions
- Don’t forget to catch a sunset or sunrise every now and again. Leave the city behind and head to somewhere like Main Range National Park.
- Visit distilleries and learn more about spirits while sipping some tasty concoctions.
- Return to nature and try out quirky activities like goat yoga or a trek at an alpaca farm.
- Pitch a tent, fire up a makeshift barbecue, and get closer under the stars on a camping trip.
- Make the most of a Sunday or free morning and see how you and your significant other would fare at a popular bottomless brunch spot.
Editorial contribution by: MJ Gayón