Looking for date ideas, but don’t want to venture too far from home? Whether you’re single or married, our little enclave of San Diego offers a surprising number of options. From sweet and romantic to adrenaline-pumping, you’re going to want to bookmark this list of date ideas.
Grab your partner and get ready to explore a little romance.
Go Plane Watching
With Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport right in our backyard, why not get cozy and watch the planes take off as you and your date enjoy a lovely meal? Casa Machado in Kearny Mesa offers the perfect vantage point, with its location literally on the second floor of the airport. 94th Aero Squadron, a quaint World War I French farmhouse replica, overlooks the airport and provides the perfect backdrop for a date.
Get Artsy
Creative dates are a smart choice for new couples and longtime lovers alike. Creative tasks can curb awkward silences as you work on your creations. It also encourages play, which is an attraction booster. Here are some nearby options to get your creative juices flowing:
- Paint and sip events: You’ll find paint and sip events hosted regularly at local hotspots like Vinya and Clairemont Coffee. Check our events calendar or subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of upcoming events.
- Pottery class: Maybe they’ll let you and your date reenact the scene from the movie “Ghost”, or maybe not, but either way, a pottery class at Clayat School of Pottery would make for a fun and creative date.
- Chocolate making: Sweet Petite Confections regularly schedules chocolate-making classes. You and your sweetie can partake in the creativity of making chocolate, and then enjoy the mood-boosting feels from eating it afterwards.
Take a Garden Stroll
If you want a date that’s simple, but surrounded by beauty, take your date for a stroll at the University of San Diego’s Garden of the Sea. This beautiful garden has scenic views of Mission Bay and the ocean, a small reflecting pool, and native plants throughout.
There are benches where you can have a moment with your date as you both gaze out from the overlook at the breathtaking beauty of San Diego. Come at sunset to capture a peak romantic moment.
You probably didn’t even realize there were so many date options nearby. Did we miss one? Drop it in the comments, or let us know when you’ve tried one of our suggestions.
Get Sporty
Sporty activities are a great way to boost endorphins while you build a connection with your date. Fortunately, our community has a solid selection of ways to pump up the volume on physical activities. Yes, billiards being a physical activity is a stretch, but it’s technically a sport—and a fun way to compete with a date.
- Outdoor golf: Tecolote Canyon Golf Course
- Golf, soccer, and baseball simulators: The Golf Bar
- Padel and pickleball, as well as golf simulators: Kingdom of Padel
- Axe throwing: Axe Thro Co
- Hiking/trail walking/mountain biking: Tecolote Canyon, Marian Bear Park, Ruffin & Sandrock Canyon
- Skateboarding: Clairemont Skate Park, Linda Vista Skate Park
- Trampoline and obstacle courses: AirTrack Park
- Roller skating: Skateworld, San Diego’s only indoor roller skating rink
- Billiards: O Zone Billiard Cafe, Channel 2 Sports Bar, Side Piece, Sidecar, Peter D’s, Champ’s Lounge, The Watering Hole, Axe Thro Co
Cop a Squat in the Park
Grab a blanket and a picnic basket full of goodies, and take your date to a park to bask in the sun or under the shade of trees as you while away the hours and get to know each other better. You can even bring along some plastic wine glasses and cans or boxes of wine, since these local parks allow alcohol but no glass:
- Serra Mesa Community Park
- Mount Acadia Neighborhood Park
- Tecolote Community Park
- Olive Grove Community Park
- Cabrillo Heights Neighborhood Park
Gamify Your Date
Whether you work together to solve trivia questions or compete against each other head-to-head in a claw game at an arcade, a date night with games involved is sure to be a good time. Here are some of the local spots where you and your date can get your game on:
- Hopnonymous: Trivia Tuesdays starting at 6:30 pm
- O’Toole’s: Trivia Thursdays at 6 pm
- Peter D’s: Trivia Tuesdays starting at 6:30 pm
- Fast Times: Trivia Tuesdays from 6 pm to 8 pm
- Societe Brewing: Trivia Thursdays, as well as a selection of board games to play anytime
- Kawaii House: A Japanese-inspired claw machine store in the Convoy District
Get Cozy in the Kitchen
Perhaps you’d rather not venture out of the house at all on your next date, but would still like something creative to do. Invite a private chef from the Artful Chefs to your kitchen for a personal cooking lesson. Invite some of your couple friends, because on-site cooking classes require a minimum of 10 people.
Cooking something from scratch, and perhaps sipping a little wine while you do it, is a perfect setting for a romantic evening.
Laugh a Little
Laughing on a date is another great way to connect. Laughter releases the feel-good endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, in the brain. Fortunately, Mic Drop Comedy in Kearny Mesa offers stand-up comedy nearly every day of the week. They also offer a full menu, so it’s a perfect way to spend an evening with your sweetie.
Sample Your Favorite Coffees, Teas, and Desserts
Our neck of the woods has some of the most stellar offerings when it comes to scrumptious desserts, marvelous matcha, and out-of-this-world coffees. Skip the booze and plot out a progressive dessert, coffee, and tea tasting at some local favorites instead. It’s a great date option for walking and talking, sharing bites and sips as you get to know each other better.
We’ve made it easy for you to make your selections with our posts on local coffee shops and best dessert spots in the neighborhood.
Take a Foodie Tour
The Convoy District has arguably some of the best food in all of San Diego. Taking your date on a foodie tour is a sure way to impress them and learn about the local Asian heritage of this part of Kearny Mesa. Wild Foodie Tours handles all logistics. You simply select the San Diego Dim Sum Tour or the San Diego Chinese Food Tour. The tours are two-and-a-half hours long and include food, shopping, and a history lesson.
Pew Pew
Engaging in date activities that trigger adrenaline can increase attraction and connection. A trip to the gun range is sure to kick up adrenaline, but in a safe environment. Check out Discount Gun Mart in Bay Park or The Gun Range in Kearny Mesa. They both offer indoor shooting ranges, lessons, and rentals.
Brew Up Some Romance
Linda Vista is the bedrock of San Diego’s craft brewery movement, so why not grab your date and hear how it all began while you learn to brew beer? Home Brew Mart, the birthplace of Ballast Point Brewing, offers beginner and advanced home brewing classes. What better way to bond than over some hops?
Once you finish class, head over to one of the area’s many other breweries to sample their goods and compare.
Use Your Brains
Putting your minds together to solve puzzles on a date is an ideal way to bond. By working as a team, you’ll feel more connected. Hit up one of two escape rooms in the area to put your brains to the test on your next date. Both The Entrapment and Lock It Escape are located in Kearny Mesa.
Rise and Shine Romance
If you’ve got a late weekend morning date in mind, why not take your honey to brunch at one of the many restaurants nearby? Sip champagne and sample the buffet at 94th Aero Squadron. Soak up sunshine overlooking the bay while eating chilaquiles at Bay Hill Tavern. Or sit under the chandeliers at Boujiemana as you share a taste of your harissa Benedict with your love.
A brunch date is a casual way to cozy up at the start—or end—of your weekend. And if you don’t like the brunch options above, we’ve got plenty of others.
The Sound of (Live) Music
Kicking back with your date and listening to live music from local bands is an easy, casual way to enjoy an evening. If you want to get even closer to your date, hit the dance floor as you move to the music together.
Here are some local hot spots that regularly book live bands:
Sneak Into a Speakeasy Together
Speakeasies are definitely a vibe made for dates. They are typically small, with close quarters and dim lighting–perfect for snuggling up to your honey. There are two speakeasies in the area, and one pseudo-speakeasy.
In the Convoy District, Realm of the 52 Remedies is tucked inside Common Theory restaurant, and its stunning Asian-inspired theme will transport you to another place. Inside Kilowatt Brewing, its Forbidden Cove speakeasy is a glowing tropical paradise. The Convoy Music Bar doesn’t call itself a speakeasy, but it still has the feel of a secret gem, inspired by the listening bars of Tokyo.
You probably didn’t even realize there were so many date options nearby. Did we miss one? Drop it in the comments, or let us know when you’ve tried one of our suggestions.
So many great ideas, thank you!
Thanks, Steve! I added a couple of bonus ones today.