Finding Love in the Big Smoke – Where to Meet Singles in London

With over 8.9 million people living in the country’s capital city, there’s no shortage of people to meet in London. Statistically, a fair few of those millions will be fellow single people looking for love just like you.

However, even with millions of people, it can be hard to know how to go about meeting singles, especially in person. But don’t worry! We’ve put together a handy guide to help you find love in the city.

London is a lively city that’s bustling with people and events that are just waiting to be discovered. Take a look at our list of the best places to meet like-minded people and fellow singletons to give your love life the boost it needs.

Here’s a quick overview of the best places to meet singles in London:

Best Places To Meet Singles in London: 1. Local bars 2. Speed dating events 3. Online dating 4. Popular pubs, bars, & restaurants 5. Doing hobbies 6. Taking classes 7. Volunteering 8. At work 9. Through friends

Read on to find out more about why these are great places to meet single people.

Best Places to Meet London Singles

If you’ve spent any amount of time in London, you’ll know that it’s a vivacious city full of life, but striking up a conversation with a beautiful stranger on the tube isn’t a realistic way to meet other single people.

Thankfully, there are plenty of places in London that make a great place to meet new people.

1. Local Bars

This might seem like an obvious one, but it’s easy to overthink dating and miss out on the obvious options. London is bursting with small, local bars that are more likely to be filled with borough residents than tourists.

These places often offer craft beer, live music, rustic decor, and a lively atmosphere, the perfect combination to strike up conversations with people local to your area who may also be single.

Of course, you can’t guarantee that the people you speak to in your local bar or pub are single, but it does give you more opportunities to meet new people who can then introduce you to their single friends.

2. Speed Dating Events

Speed dating events in London are something that many singles are still wary about, but there’s nothing to be scared of. Gone are the days of sitting in a dimly lit community hall and awkwardly introducing yourself over and over again! Speed dating has officially come into the 21st century and can be a lot of fun.

Many speed dating nights now have themes to make them more interesting and help break the ice. Why not try out drunk jenga speed dating to test the waters in a more relaxed environment?

Think of speed dating as just another singles event that introduces you to new single people that you may or may not click with. It’s essentially a swiping dating app but in real life.

3. Online Dating

Of course, if you’re really busy or don’t fancy ruining your favourite local bars for yourself with nights filled with awkward small talk, you can always rely on online dating websites. The market is saturated with niche and general dating apps and websites to help you strike up conversations with fellow singles from the comfort of your sofa.

With that said, if you want a dating app that takes finding love seriously and is tailored to the lifestyle of single people in London, you can’t go wrong with the Finding The One dating app.

Here at Finding The One, we offer a unique approach to help serious singles find love in London. Best of all, it’s an exclusive app, so you don’t have to worry about people wasting your time when you want something serious.

4. Popular Pubs, Bars, & Restaurants

If you want to search further afield than your local, there are plenty of well-known places that are ideal for meeting singles in the city. Some of the most popular places where you can meet other single people are

• The Ivy Club – A more exclusive crowd. Members can join by invitation only.
• The Connaught Bar
• The Hawk’s Nest – Great for craft beers.
• Midnight Apothecary
• Supa Dupa Fly – A nightclub with a diverse crowd where you can dance all night long.
• Sketch
• Bar Nightjar
• The King’s Arms – In the heart of Soho, near nightclubs, to keep the night going.

5. Hobbies or Classes

All the options we’ve mentioned so far are great for meeting a range of singles, but they don’t necessarily help you find someone who shares the same interests as you. This is where group hobbies and classes come into it.

Taking up a hobby or joining an evening class can be the perfect place to meet people. Not only are you more likely to meet a special someone who shares the same interests as you, but with these regular social events, you can get to know other singles before making a move if it makes you more comfortable.

Some of the best group hobbies or classes for meeting new people include:

• A book club
• Dance classes (make it a fun one, such as hip-hop dancing)
• Different types of cooking classes
• A ‘how to make cocktails’ class
• Local D&D groups
• Art classes

6. Volunteering

Sharing the same hobbies isn’t the only basis for a budding relationship. In fact, some people prefer to keep their hobbies separate from relationships. What’s always important when looking for a serious relationship is that your morals align. This is where volunteering serves as a great place to meet someone.

Whether you’re volunteering to litter pick in your local park, providing food at a soup kitchen for the homeless, or helping out with a local charity, you can give back to your local area and potentially meet someone special.

Of course, it goes without saying that you shouldn’t just start volunteering in the hope of meeting other single people unless you already have an interest in the cause you’d be helping.

7. Work

Finally, we can’t rule out the place where we spend the majority of our time. Work can be the ideal place to find like-minded people who may also be single.

If you’re open to the idea of finding love at work, try to be relaxed about it and let relationships blossom naturally rather than actively pursuing people, as this can lead to awkward working relationships and could potentially cause issues with HR.

It’s also important to consider the consequences of sparking a relationship at work that doesn’t work out. If you find yourself getting close to a coworker, open and honest communication throughout is a must. You should also check your workplace’s policy about relationships in the workplace.

Tips for Meeting Singles in London

Now you’ve got some inspiration for where to meet other singles in the city, we’ve got some tips to help you maximise your chances of meeting someone special in London.

Turn Your Friends into Cupid

Utilising dating apps, bars, and hobbies are all great ways to increase your chances of meeting someone, but you also have an untapped resource all around you.

Unlike the cast of Friends, your mates will likely have multiple circles of friends and acquaintances outside your immediate circle.

Asking your mates if they know anyone that’s single and might be a good match for you can be a great way to find that special someone. Also, because your friends know you, they’re unlikely to set you up with someone you’ve got nothing in common with.

Be Open to Brief Encounters

Although we started this blog saying that striking up a conversation with a beautiful stranger isn’t the most effective way to meet other singletons, it doesn’t mean you should shut yourself off from the possibility entirely.

There’s nothing wrong with striking up a conversation with someone in a coffee shop or on public transport and seeing where it goes. Alternatively, be friendly to people who strike up a conversation with you.

You never know – they could be the coolest person you’ve ever met.

Just remember to keep things light-hearted and fun. Also, accept the fact that some people may be uncomfortable being spoken to by a stranger and back off if they’re not receptive to your conversation.

Be Patient – Love Takes Time

As the Supremes said, you can’t hurry love; you just have to wait. Although there are millions of single people in London, you’re not likely to click with all of them. Actually, you’re not even likely to click with most of them!

Finding someone special that you want to spend all your time with is a lengthy process, and chick flick meet-cutes don’t happen very often in the real world. You’ve got to put in the work, mingle, attend events, and go dancing to work your way through the extensive selection of potential partners.

The best thing to do is just have fun with it and enjoy meeting new people and making friends along the way.

Find Love in London With Finding The One

Meeting new people isn’t easy, especially in a city as big and busy as London. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a fun place full of friendly, interesting people who want to meet you just as much as you want to meet them!

By visiting the right places and getting a bit of extra help from your friends, you’ll soon find yourself meeting plenty of interesting singles.

To help you along in the process of finding a serious relationship in London, why not sign up for early access to the Finding The One dating app, designed exclusively for London singles?

For more tips and advice on dating in London and beyond, check out our Finding The One blog.

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