Dallas Date Ideas from Picnics in the Park to Rom-Com-Worthy Cooking Classes

Love is in the air in Dallas—or at least it could be with these romantic date ideas.

Roses, chocolates, and candlelit dinners certainly have a stronghold on the minds of millions when someone mentions the word romance. But it’s so worth thinking outside the heart-shaped Russel Stover box to secure your place in someone’s heart and soul. Take your date to new heights in skyscrapers and airplanes, cook new foods together, strut your stuff on the dance floor, indulge in spa treatments, and explore alternate universes hand-in-hand. Keep reading for our own sweet sampler of ideas to infuse any day of the year with a whole lotta love.

Sky-High Date Ideas in Dallas

Downtown
Home to more than 700 marriage proposals per year, Dallas’ Reunion Tower offers couples the chance to marvel at 360-degree city views. Book your entry before sunset to see the dramatic transformation from day to night while whispering sweet nothings—or savory nothings if you’re planning to hit Crown Block upstairs. And, like many entries on this list, you can also book a room downstairs, too.

Grand Prairie
The classic dinner-and-a-show combo always makes for an enjoyable date, but you can up the ante considerably when the show takes place outside the window of an aircraft. At Delta Charlie’s, you and your s/o can enjoy a three-course meal followed by a private post-sunset sightseeing tour. Depending on the season, consider scheduling a flight during a fireworks presentation (you know, should you need a marriage proposal idea).

dallas zoo giraffes
Giraffes: expert at necking. Invented it. | Courtesy Dallas Zoo

Outdoor Date Ideas in Dallas

Las Colinas
Navigate through the Mandalay Canal and Lake Carolyn on a cozy vessel complete with a gondolier in black-and-white stripes operating a big stick. Choose from breakfast, lunch, and dinner options—fancy or casual—and see the city from a completely different vantage point. And, little known fact: It’s gondola tradition to kiss every time you go under a bridge.

East Dallas/White Rock Lake
Not only are the gardens at the Dallas Arboretum perfect for photo ops during the colorful days of spring, mild temperatures mean you can hang out longer. Dallas Blooms (February 24-April 8) absolutely guarantees splendor in the grass (and in the bushes and trees). If you’re looking for a quiet, more private experience and you’re a morning person, take advantage of the fact that members get exclusive access at 7 am, (two hours before the arboretum opens each day), plus free parking, a first chance at concert tickets, and other perks.

South Dallas
Interacting with animals always makes for a fun date and it doesn’t get much more exotic than the Backstage Safari at Dallas Zoo. For $170 per person—which adds up to $510 for thrupples—you can embark on a 90-minute excursion behind the scenes with one of the zookeepers. Feed apples to the world’s largest land mammal (the African elephant, if you’re playing along at home), participate in a training session with some hippos, and attend a private Wild Encounters show where you’ll get an up-close look at tamanduas, tortoises, and other magnificent creatures.

Dating spots in Dallas, TX
Photo by Evgeniia Siiankovskaia/Moment/Getty Images

Food and Drink Date Ideas in Dallas

Fort Worth
Practice your Italian while taking part in a hands-on pasta-making class at il Modo inside the hotel. Book a public group class or splurge on a private session with your sweetheart or a group of other couple friends. After you make your noodles, enjoy a chef’s table experience by chef Greg Pawlowski. While you’re at it, book a room for the night.

Anywhere
Victorians mastered the art of the picnic way back in the 1800s, but Uptown Picnic Company has taken the snacks-on-the-ground activity to new heights of artistry. Pack up your favorite foods and drinks (you’ll have to be sneaky if you want to drink booze in most places) then choose from a variety of picnic themes (among them Bohemian, Romantic, and Coastal). The team will set up a tiny table and blanket with gorgeous decor at the place of your choosing. Add on fresh flowers, umbrellas, twinkle lights, photoshoots (you know, for proposals), and custom portraits if you wish to really impress.

Harwood District; Downtown
Pinkies up! Treat someone special to a traditional afternoon tea with teeny-tiny sandwiches, pastries, and delightful teas at one of three swanky spots in the city. Upgrades including champagne and caviar take tea time to a whole new level.

couple at meow wolf grapevine
Photo by Imani Thomas courtesy of Meow Wolf Grapevine

Immersive Date Ideas in Dallas

Grapevine
Embark on a truly immersive artscape better known as The Real Unreal. Explore the surreal spaces anytime. Or purchase tickets to special events, including the 21-and-over Adultiverse nights where cocktails can accompany you on your journey without fear of a child knocking a drink out of your hand.

Mockingbird Station
Until we all own a pair of Apple Vision Pro goggles, we need to rely on other virtual reality experts to transport us from reality for an hour or two. Fight zombies, play Squid Game, or pillage with pirates in a full-body, motion-capture experience that puts you in the center of the action of video games and movies.

a couple putting at putt shack dallas
Courtesy Putt Shack

Sports and Gaming Date Ideas in Dallas

The Village
Sometimes, a little friendly competition can allow you to show off your athletic prowess (or your willingness to laugh at your lack of ability), all while building sexual tension as the points rack up. The Sandy Pickle has pickleball and volleyball courts, as well as state-of-the-art golf simulators.

Addison
Mini golf gets a 21st-century makeover, plus the benefit of rain-or-shine gameplay thanks to the indoor setting. Technology keeps track of your score for you, so if your tiny pencil collection’s running low, you may need to putt around someplace else. (But you won’t want to.)

Garland
Going to the movies on dates has been a cool-kid thing to do since Charlie Chaplin vamped it up on the big screen. But today, you can see the latest Hollywood blockbuster and make that only the first item on your date-night agenda—without even leaving the building. Strike + Reel also offers visitors bowling, bumper cars, rock climbing, video games, and laser tags. Take photos at each and create your own rom-com montage that’ll make one date look like an adventurous lifetime together.

Courtesy of The Spa Adolphus

Relaxing Spa Date Ideas in Dallas

Downtown, Frisco, Fort Worth
After a long work week (or a particularly intense workout), few things beat a couple’s massage for equal parts romance and relaxation. Afterward, sit in your robes while sipping on bubbly and plotting your next day of pampering.

Comedy Date Ideas in Dallas

Deep Ellum, Mockingbird Station, Lowest Greenville, Fort Worth
You know how the old saying goes: “The couple who laughs together goes home, makes babies, buys a house with a white-picket fence, and eventually tells their grandchildren all about that pivotal night at the comedy club.” Or the less-pressure version: “The couple who laughs together has a wonderful time then hits the Jack in the Box drive-thru on the way home.”

legs up with cocktail at columbian country club
Courtesy of Columbian Country Club

Drinks-and-Dancing Date Ideas in Dallas

East Dallas
One of Dallas’ newest cocktail lounges evokes old-world glam with stiff drinks and cool tunes. A live piano player performs each Monday through Saturday and a live DJ takes over on weekend nights, each the ideal accompaniment to a few spins the old-school light-up dance floor.

Sleepover Hotel Date Ideas in Dallas

Downtown, Design District, Fort Worth, Irving, Frisco
Whether you’re looking for pure luxury or simply the chance to explore a different neighborhood/city in DFW, an overnight stay or extended weekend at a hotel will surely spark a fire in your relationship. Between soaking tubs, room service, and breathtaking views, you can create magic from the moment you arrive to that inevitable plea to the front desk for a late checkout.

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on InstagramTwitterPinterestYouTubeTikTok, and Snapchat.
Steven Lindsey is a contributor for Thrillist.