Boulder has been named one of the best cities for singles. Put some singles together and you’ve got one of the best cities for dates, too.
There’s no shortage of fun date ideas around here.
If you’re planning a date night this summer, whether it’s a first date where you want to make a good impression or a night away from the kids where you really need to make it count, here are a few slam-dunk date night ideas in Boulder County.
Get to Know Your Partner
So you want to get to know your date. Really know them. Head to Longmont.
Start with apps and drinks at Sugarbeet, 101 Pratt St. (It opens at 4 p.m. Happy hour runs 4-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.) This is one of the nicer restaurants in Longmont, so you may even want to make a reservation in advance (seating is pretty limited). Request a seat on the patio and tip back a finely made cocktail with a charcuterie plate. Freshly shucked oysters are on the happy hour menu. Sugarbeet isn’t too rambunctious, although it’s far from pretentious, so you can expect a good conversation to start the night.
Then head to Longmont’s newest escape room, the Twin Peaks Escape Room, 425 S. Bowen St., Unit 6. This is where you’ll really get to know each other: locked in a room working together to try to find the way out in an hour or less. These rooms are private escape rooms so you book them with friends (no strangers). Although it says the minimum is three people per room, you can book it for just two. Or it’s perfect for a double date. Pick from multiple different themed rooms. Area 51 is the most challenging.
Learn more about escape rooms here.
Celebrate your victory at Martini’s Bistro, a cute martini bar in downtown, in a converted historic house.
Or for a sober option, head to Scrumptious, 508 Main St., an ice cream shop in downtown that’s open until 10 p.m. Technically, it calls itself a “micro-creamery and candy shop.” All you need to know is it’s the sweetest way to end your date. Take your cone for a stroll downtown or to Roosevelt Park a few blocks away.
For an Impressive Date (In All Ways)
If you want to leave your date in awe, here’s the recipe. First, start on a high note (literally) at the Flagstaff House Restaurant, 1138 Flagstaff Road, Boulder. This highly awarded restaurant perched atop Flagstaff Mountain also has the best views in Boulder. All summer, you can take advantage of its Tastes on the Terrace special. From 5-7 p.m. Sunday-Friday through Labor Day, grab a spot on the scenic patio overlooking Boulder and enjoy bites and sips from a special menu. The offerings will shift up seasonally, inspired by chef Chris Royster.
Local tip: Try the new cocktail, Gem Worth Drinking (appropriately named), which features a summery rhubarb-infused gin, rhubarb simple syrup, fresh lemon and bubbly prosecco.
Then head to the Fiske Planetarium for a Laser and Liquid Sky Show (offered at different times throughout the summer, including an 8:30 p.m. show). Pick between laser shows set to music (Pink Floyd is a classic, but there’s also Bruno Mars, Beatles, Queen, David Bowie, Beastie Boys and more).
Or check out the Liquid Sky: abstract art and digitally-generated real-time graphics set to carefully selected psychedelic music. It’s oh so Boulder and will definitely give you something to talk about after the show.
For an Outdoor Date
Boulder’s weather is so great, especially in the summer, it’d be a shame to not invite it to your date. Start with happy hour on one of Boulder’s best patios, like Centro Mexican Kitchen, 950 Pearl St. Because margaritas, chips and salsa scream summer in the best possible way.
You might also love cuddling around the fire on the patio at Carelli’s.
Then catch some live music at one of the many outdoor concerts in town, like Concerts in the Park. There are many ways to hear music outdoors in Boulder. Band on the Bricks is also tons of fun and right downtown on the Pearl Street Mall (so a close walk from Centro, if you need to dance off that happy hour drink.)
Finish the night with a romantic and unique nighttime hike. Many people may not realize that the city of Boulder’s trails are always open, day and night. Many trailhead parking lots remain unlocked (but not all of them; some close at 5 p.m.), so you might be able to still park there, too — as long as you don’t leave your car parked overnight.
Want more Inspo?
Here are some ideas to plan a romantic date night in Boulder County.
Here are unique date night ideas from locals.
We asked our readers for additional ideas and here are their favorite summer dates:
- “Beer vs. Beer at Samples in Longmont is super fun for the food- and beer-pairing types. Basically, you get to drink beer from two different breweries while eating food that the brewers picked beers to match. Then you vote on each round and they determine a winning brewery at the end of the night. It’s $75 a head, good food and beer. Plenty of both. I left very happy.” – Jeremy S.
- “Rosalee’s Pizza in Longmont. A chill little spot with an awesome back patio.” – Kelsey P.
- “Lightclub.earth date! Couples love it! On so many levels. A couple comes in, they have an immersive non-substance-based psychedelic vibrational experience, they explore levels of coherence in their experience, feel into each other’s perception skills; it’s a mutual experience that unfolds into more possible points of connection and relating through the experience. It can clear resentment baggage, gives tools to move through anxiety states, increases insight, reduces stress and everyone clearly has their own experience that is completely valid and unique.” – Chuck H.
- “The Tantra Institute, monthly in Boulder at the Alchemy of Movement.” – Danny N.
Find a Date
If you are craving a date but don’t have one, check out the Boulder Area Singles group.
