11 Date-worthy restaurants for a summer of love

Forget about your love interest, rooftop restaurant Aviary will be the one to sweep you off your feet on date night. This luxurious sky-high plot has insane views of London, an impressive list of sparkling wines and a menu packed with prime cuts and bone-in wild fish. Worried about the weather ruining your romantic evening? Don't. The indoor restaurant is super stylish with floor-to-ceiling windows, so you don't have to compromise on that glorious view if the weather isn't playing ball.

El Gato Negro isn't just any old tapas restaurant: it's an award-winning tapas restaurant, and it's plonked right in the heart of Manchester, making it super easy to get to. Spread across a three-storey townhouse, you and your date should brave the stairs to reach The Black Cat. Weather-ready with a retractable roof and colourful furnishings, it's more than worth breaking a sweat for. Boasting Spanish wines and sherries to compliment the seasonally-influenced dishes on the menu, this place is sure to steal your heart.

Perched along the River Thames, Sea Containers is a great restaurant choice if you want to go that extra mile on date night. From the signature fries that come spruced up with lobster oil and grated caviar to the seasonal oysters, the menu is sure to earn your date's nod of approval. They have an outdoor terrace too, and it's got a great vantage point for eye spying London's iconic buildings.

Sometimes a full-on three-course meal can be a little too much for a date, particularly if it's your first time meeting up. But no-one wants to get too tipsy and end up unleashing all your personal baggage onto your unsuspecting Tinder date, either. Here's where experiential cocktail bar, Archer Street, come in. Not only do they serve an array of DELICIOUS cocktails, they also offer up a scrummy selection of cheese and charcuterie boards (and complimentary cheese tasters!) to keep those hunger pangs at bay. Oh, and there are also LIVE performances throughout the night.

Playing host to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland, Cafe de Paris has been in the business of entertaining since 1924; fast forward to the present day and things aren't much different. Known as one of the best cabaret venues in London, splurge out on a VIP ticket that includes a three-course dinner and bubbly for date night, and prepare to be stunned as performers swallow fire and propel themselves from crazy heights.

Traditionally served with tea and often as a brunch, Ping Pong's take on Dim Sum is a perfect option for a summer date. As well as a huge menu of delish small plates (perfect for sharing), the restaurant also boasts an extensive cocktail selection.

Date night with a difference? You should make a reservation for Hoxley and Porter. This train carriage themed restaurant is filled with velvet sofas, floral wallpaper, vintage trinkets and gold fixtures, and the interiors aren't even the best bit. You won't have to part ways with a mini fortune to dine at this stunning spot as three courses come in at a very reasonable £19.50, and they have happy hour cocktails from 5pm until 7pm.

It doesn't get much more romantic than sailing down Regent's Canal with a bottle of wine, and although this dining experience might set you back a pretty penny, it's more than worth the dent in your bank balance. London Shell Co. have been wowing Londonders with their seafood dining experience since December 2016, and it's been penned as one of the best things to do some summertime. So, if you're out to impress on your next meal, for the love of romance, pick this idyllic floating restaurant.

The name of this restaurant says it all really. Made for intimate dates, Restaurant Ours is split into four separate areas, and there's no point in asking us about our favourite one, because that's like asking us to decide who our favourite child is. The second floor balcony is all about velvet furnishings and potted plants while the main dining space is home to a living wall blooming with flowers and fairy-lit trees. Still not sold? They have an internationally inspired sharing menu and a mean cocktail list.

Some would say low lighting and sharing plates are the key to a successful date night, and having thought about it, they wouldn't be half wrong. Tattu in Leeds is the ultimate date night destination if you're after an atmospheric night, and they not only have the above, but cosy tables for two perched underneath a giant cherry blossom tree. Sure to break the ice, grab a pair of chopsticks and fight over their modern Chinese cuisine and calm your nerves with one (or three) of their crafted cocktails.

Ubiquitous Chip is the kind of restaurant you'd travel the length of England to get to, so if you happen to be living not too far away and are planning a date, this is where you need to be. You can start your evening at The Wee Pub (the smallest pub in Scotland), before making your way to the roof terrace for some exceptional Scottish-inspired plates. Resembling a rainforest with hanging greenery, fairy lights and a fountain in a rock pool, it's the perfect setting for exchanging whispers and stealing kisses.