The Yarra Valley, St Kilda, the Melbourne Planetarium, The Meat and Wine Co… we can say for certain that there are an endless number of romantic things to do in Melbourne. With Instagrammable spots dotted throughout the city, a seemingly never-ending list of world-class restaurants and bars, and an enviable roster of gigs and exhibitions, the City by the Bay is the perfect place to take a date – regardless of what day of the week it is!
We know narrowing down the right choice for date night can be tough, which is why we’ve done the leg work for you. From quirky dates on a weeknight to a romantic weekend dinner, here are our favourite Melbourne date ideas for every day of the week.
Monday night: Work together and take on an escape room
If you’re looking for fun things to do in Melbourne on a date at the beginning of the week, and want to test your teamwork skills, you can’t go past an escape room adventure. You and your date start out in a locked room, and have to solve a series of puzzles in order to unlock doors and escape within the time limit.
There are plenty of escape rooms dotted throughout Melbourne, all with different themes: you can grab onto each other in a horror themed room with plenty of jump scares at Woodbury Escape Rooms, escape from a mine in Mine Escape, or crack the codes of the Cold War at TRAPT Bar and Escape Room.
Tuesday night: Show off your swing at glow mini golf
There are plenty of fun things to do in Melbourne on Tuesday nights, but playing a game of glow mini golf with your date may take the cake as one of the most unique date night ideas out there.
Putt your way through Glow Golf’s 18-hole course, where fluorescent paint and UV lights come together to create a romantic (and retro) ambience for your date night. Different holes have different themes based on iconic Australian attractions, including the Great Barrier Reef, the Outback, and a Kingswood Ute.
After your game, you can also head to one of Australia’s smallest bars, Bar Europeen, which only serves four people at a time – a great way to get intimate with your date (literally!).
Wednesday night: Take salsa lessons at The Salsa Foundation
Spin, cucaracha, and cross step…take your date out for a night of dancing on Wednesday nights and let the music do the talking. The Salsa Foundation has free beginners salsa classes and beginners Zouk classes every Wednesday night, which makes it the perfect spot to have some fun with your date in the middle of the week.
Salsa and Zouk can both be done with partners, so you can have fun and learn new moves together. The Salsa Foundation is also located in Melbourne’s CBD, so after you’ve worked up a sweat, you can go for dinner and a drink (and maybe test your new skills on the dance floor later!).
Thursday night: Enjoy a night of live jazz
Treat your earbuds on Thursday night, and take your date to enjoy some live music in one of the city’s countless jazz clubs. Melbourne’s laneways and alleys are filled with venues to get your jazz fix – it’s all up to you and what type of vibe you’re looking for on your date.
Take a trip to 1920s Paris at the Paris Cat Jazz Club, or sit back and enjoy international and local talents at Bird’s Basement, the sister club of New York City’s infamous Birdland jazz club. With sets running well into the night, you’ll have plenty of time to kindle up the romance to the soundtrack of smooth saxophones, pianos, and drums.
Friday night: Snuggle up with a film night at the Melbourne Planetarium
On Friday nights, the Melbourne Planetarium transforms itself into a romantic date night spot with adults only fulldome film screenings. Snuggle up with your date under the massive 16 metre dome ceiling, and gaze up at the cosmos, dive into black holes, or get sucked in to an immersive cinematic experience with psychedelic visuals and music.
There are two sessions at 7:30pm and 9pm – the earlier session is all about astronomy, and includes a presenter-led tour of the night sky, while the 9pm session is dedicated to a fulldome art screening.
Tickets are $25 for one session per adult, or you can make it a double feature with two sessions for $45 per adult. Book online at the Museums Victoria website here.
Saturday night: Treat your date to a world-class meal at The Meat & Wine Co.
Call us biased, but when it comes to Melbourne date ideas that are sure to impress, nothing comes close to sharing a dining experience together at The Meat & Wine Co. Our restaurants are located in three of Melbourne’s best date night spots – Southbank, Hawthorn East, and South Yarra – and blend African-inspired decor with contemporary touches for an intimate and stylish backdrop for your special night.
Treat your date to the best steak in Australia (in our humble opinion!). Our restaurants serve up premium grass and grain-fed Monte Beef, exclusively sourced for The Meat & Wine Co., complete with African-inspired basting. If you’re searching for cutting-edge modern cuisine, our menu also features a selection of fresh seafood, seasonal salads, – plus, top off your date night with some indulgent mouth-watering desserts or artisan cheeses.
Of course, it wouldn’t be date night without a glass of wine – that’s why our sommeliers have handpicked a selection of the best red, white, and dessert wines from Australia and around the globe (including South Africa!) to complement your meal. Our cocktail menu offers up a range of flavours for the perfect pre-dinner drink, or you can also choose from a range of beers and non-alcoholic beverages.
Pro tip: the word has spread about our world-class dining, so we recommend booking in advance for your date night.
Sunday night: Embrace your inner child with a night at Luna Park
Many of us went to Luna Park as kids, but this iconic St Kilda amusement park also makes for a romantic date night for couples looking for fun places to go in Melbourne. You and your date can hop on the roller coaster together for an adrenaline rush, get a bit competitive with dodgem cars, channel your inner child with some classic fairy floss, then finish off with a scenic view on the ferris wheel.
If you’re planning to take your date to Luna Park, remember to keep an eye on the opening hours: the park opens until 6pm on Sundays during the school term, and until 8pm during school holidays.
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