Best activities for a date in New York
Something to do first, then dinner to talk about it.
150 spots · Jump to the list
Doing something together beats sitting across a table, at least to start: a shared activity gives you something to react to, and it takes the pressure off the conversation. This list runs the whole range — a gallery or a show, a kayak or a climbing wall, a comedy set, the zoo — and every one of them sets up dinner afterwards. Check hours and booking before you go; the popular ones sell out on weekends.
This guide ranks 150 activities in New York, from Midtown Manhattan to Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen and West Village / Greenwich Village. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
The Vig Bar
4.1(9)East Village / LES · $$$$
Art Bar
4.1(9)West Village / Greenwich Village · $
Amsterdam Billiards
4.0(22)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$
Don’t Tell Mama
4.0(22)Midtown Manhattan · $$
Cellar Dog
4.0(20)West Village / Greenwich Village · $
Lucky Strike Chelsea Piers
4.0(17)Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen
Dive 75
4.0(13)Upper West Side · $
Barcade (Chelsea)
4.0(9)Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen · $$
The Beauty Bar
4.0(6)Flatiron / Gramercy · $
Alligator Lounge
4.0(5)Williamsburg · $
Break Bar and Billiards
4.0(4)Astoria / Long Island City
Frames Bowling Lounge
3.9(18)Midtown Manhattan
New Museum
3.8(14)East Village / LES · $
Artechouse
3.8(9)Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen · $
Jake's Dilemma
3.7(18)Upper West Side · $
Mercer Labs
3.7(10)Lower Manhattan / FiDi · $$
The Original Mystery Picnic
Williamsburg · $$$
DUMBO Archway
DUMBO / Brooklyn Heights · $
Columbus Circle
Midtown Manhattan · $
Ana Tzarev Gallery
Midtown Manhattan
Washington Square Park
SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $
Jefferson Market Garden
West Village / Greenwich Village · $
Little Island
Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen · $
Dewitt Clinton Park
Midtown Manhattan · $
Showing 97–120 of 150 spots
Good to know
- What's the best activity in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is The Vig Bar in East Village / LES, rated 4.1 out of 5. Art Bar and Amsterdam Billiards round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best activities?
- Midtown Manhattan (5), Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen (4) and West Village / Greenwich Village (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable activities in New York?
- Yes — Art Bar, Amsterdam Billiards and Don’t Tell Mama are all $$ or under.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a night out: something to do, then dinner, then nightcap. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.