7 alternative post-lockdown date ideas in Liverpool

It was tough to find date options when we were all in lockdown, and even tougher if your partner was stuck in a different house.

Now we’re able to do more than just one outdoor exercise in a day, and meet up again, it’s great to get back to doing things together.

Obviously going out for something to eat and a drink is always good – especially as we’re all being encouraged to Eat Out to Help Out and give our favourite local restaurants and bars a much-needed hand.

But sometimes you fancy doing something different too, so if you want to make a night of it or mix things up a bit, what’s out there now places are reopening?

Here are a few ideas if you’ve binged through everything decent on Netflix already …

ArCains, Cains Brewery

Gaming doesn’t have to be a solo thing, it’s more fun if you team up with someone or, better still, go up against them. ArCains is full of classic arcade and PC games and you can break up the gaming with some retro food and cocktails while you’re there. ArCains reopened on July 4, and you now get a bottle of hand gel and a mask in the entry fee. To follow social distancing guidelines, players are asked to leave one machine space if another player isn’t in their social bubble, but otherwise you can play side-by-side.

Visit the ArCains website here.

Quirky Quarter, Duke Street

Quirky Quarter could well be the most unusual date you’ve ever been on (unless you count a few dodgy Tinder ones) – but that’s not a bad thing. This weird and wonderful place near the Chinese Arch is packed with puzzles and brain-teasing experiences as well as lots of photo opps. It reopened with a special weekend for NHS workers and their families, but it now it’s back open to everyone else too. Advanced booking is currently online to help with social distancing.

Visit the Quirky Quarter website here.

Roxy Ball Room

You’ll need to be a bit patient for this one, but it’ll be worth the wait. Roxy Ball Room is reopening on August 1 so you can get competitive on your date (or maybe double date and take on another couple if they’re in your bubble?) There’s a 9-hole mini golf course, shuffleboard, ping pong, pool, retro arcade games and full-size bowling lanes and the Rainford Square site is massive so there’s no problem keeping your distance from other players.

Visit the Roxy Ball Room website here.

Rent a City Bike

Lots more people have been out cycling since the virus restrictions came in, and even if you don’t own a bike, or you don’t live near the city centre, you can still rent one of the green City Bikes for a fun outdoor sightseeing date. Finding two at the same rental station is usually easy, you can book and pay online on your phone, and you only have to hire for as many hours as you think you’ll need, so you don’t have to be super-fit to enjoy a cycle along the waterfront.

Visit the City Bike website here.

TeamSport Karting

If you’re looking for an adrenaline-filled date, then you’ll want to get behind the wheel of a 200cc petrol go-kart at TeamSport Karting on Sefton Street near Brunswick Dock. The 850metre track reopened on July 4 so now you can challenge your partner to a race around corners and straights as you floor it to see who’s the better driver. New safety measures include limited numbers, a choice of PPE for drivers and sanitised suits and helmets after each use.

Visit the TeamSport Karting website here.

Ghetto Golf

Ghetto Golf has had a huge lockdown makeover and it’s reopening on July 24 promising something incredible for the city’s crazy golf fans. It’s all Covid compliant, you can now pre-book a time and date slot online and if you’re planning to go there on a date then there’s the option of a couples-only Hole In One package which includes 18 holes of golfing madness, two drinks or cocktails plus one choice from the in-house Apocalypse Cow street food menu.

Visit the Ghetto Golf website here.

Ice cream in the park

If you’re short on cash but big on romance, there’s something rom-com about an afternoon in the park with a gorgeous ice cream – and it won’t cost that much. If you fancy a wander around the lake at Sefton Park, head to Lark Lane and join a socially-distanced queue outside the reopened Gelato, or if you prefer Calderstones Park then The Reader Ice Cream Parlour also has a big choice of flavours and it’s back open from 12 noon, 7 days a week.

Visit The Reader’s website here.

Got a story you would like to share with us? Email us at info@theguideliverpool.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for regular updates for Liverpool.