Alternative Date Venues and Ideas In Nottingham City Centre

Ice-Skating

In the city that gave birth to the beautiful Bolero performance of Torville and Dean, the idea of a skate date at the National Ice Centre has to be worth a go. It’s currently £10pp and they stay open until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays.  

Pro-tip: If you’re trying to impress on a first date then we’d recommend you use standard skates (the hire fee of which is included) and, under no circumstances should you ask for the ‘Penguin’, ‘Snowman’ or ‘Min-zamboni’. 

Virtual Reality 

Who doesn’t like the idea of taking a massive sub machine gun to a load of hideous zombies at Zero Latency? Or if zombie games aren’t your thing you can choose from the various other VR experiences they have available. You can expect to pay about £30 for half an hour of intensive game time. 

Pro-tip: This may not be ideal for first-dates as entering a whole new visual reality can get in the way of getting to know someone. 

Ten Pin Bowling

Good old bowling! It’s an activity that has been enjoyed for hundreds of years. There’s nothing quite like chucking a ball of powdered metal oxide at a pyramid of wooden bad boys. It’s currently £8.50 per game at Nottingham Bowl and there’s plenty of other stuff to amuse you there including a cafe and various arcade machines.

Pro-tip: If nostalgia is your thing they have the biggest Hungry Hippos set-up we’ve ever seen. 

Hit Up The Arcades 

Nestled in the Cornerhouse you will find Funstation, a city centre arcade with lots of neon delights. You can choose from a variety of machines including: mini bowling, toy grabbers, driving simulators, whack-a-Minion and more. 

Meanwhile Penny Lane is both a bar and a restaurant, they also have the most fantastic  selection of iconic & nostalgic amusement arcades this side of Skegness. Think 2p penny pushers, air hockey,grabber machines and even Nottingham’s very own Donkey Derby.

Pro-tip: Even if you are brilliant at everything, it might be worth letting your date win every once in a while to make it a more enjoyable experience for all concerned. 

Adventure Golf

For those who think golf is just for boring old men in jumpers, think again. You have two main options in Nottingham City Centre. First up Lost City (£9.50 per person) offers you the chance to putt your skills to the test against towering rockfaces and incredible obstacles. Or if you’re feeling like being a bit more risque then Glory Holes (£10pp) is a indoor course with ‘18 Holes To Shaft’. And yes, as the name and tagline suggests some of the holes are quite sexually explicit.

Pro-tip: Bend your knees, keep your shoulders straight, pull back slow and follow through.

Board Game Cafes

Nottingham is blessed with two thriving board game cafes in the city centre. The Dice Cup is located on Mansfield Road, just up from Victoria Centre and charges just £5pp for all daygaming. Ludorati is located on Maid Marian Way and charges £2.50per hour or £10 for a session of 4+ hours. Both of them have lovely cafes where you can get coffee and cake too.

Pro-tip: Many of the games they have are co-operative, which means you and your date can work together and both come out as winners.  

Is your venue a Nottingham BID Member? Would you like to be included in this article? If so please contact us with your venue name and some details of your venue.