Romantic Things to Do for Couples in Houston
Get cozy at a speakeasy, take a pottery class, go picnicking in the park, and more romantic things to do on a trip to Houston.
Now, Houston is admittedly not Paris, Venice, or Marrakesh, but this city’s got its own special thing going in the romance department. It actually can be quite the place to fall in love—or keep the love alive—and we’ve got a whole bunch of romantic date ideas in Houston to help you do just that (or at least have a good time trying). Sure you can have a really nice time at one of Houston’s many fine restaurants and bars, but you can also totally up your next date night with candlelit concerts, hidden speakeasies, Texas-sized dance floors, and more romantic dates.
If you’d normally hit up a bar
Speakeasy vibes at Bandista
Downtown, Prices vary
Enter a secret code and go behind the bookcase at Four Seasons Hotel Houston and you’ll discover Bandista, its badass “cocktail laboratory” that takes inspiration from Prohibition-era tequila smugglers. Score a seat in the sultry 1920s lounge to unwind with boundary-pushing cocktails and rare spirits from around the globe.
Avant-garde sips at Diversión
Spring Branch, Prices vary
It’s a tad off the beaten path, but a jaunt over to this intimate cocktail lounge is worth it.
Diversión has a reputation for being avante-gard, making its own tinctures in-house, freshly foraging goods, and making epic use of stuff like vinegars, cordials, fermentations, and shrubs to craft cocktails that go beyond what you’ve experienced before. Reserve one of the few seats via Tock and enhance your good time with caviar, conserva, and charcuterie.
1950s “Bossa Nova” at Emilia’s Havana
Galleria/Uptown, $50 and up
Bring the sexy vibes to date night by booking a table for two at this 1950s Havana-inspired. Tucked away in a former storage closet next to one of Houston’s most classic restaurants, The Annie, the 50-seat lounge offers “Bossa Nova” style musical entertainment from the house band, plus DJs, tasty post-dinner snacks, and modern riffs on classic Cuban cocktails. Loosen up with Cuba Libres, Mojitos, and Hemingways, then hit the dance floor. There is a late and early seating, and each reservation includes two hours of live music by the house band for a $50 entertainment fee (the second seating includes a minimum of $100/person with food and beverage).
If you’re both competitive
Indoor mini golf (with drinks) at Puttery
Arts District Houston, $20 and up
In the cool Sawyer Yards district, you can head to this immersive indoor golf experience to bring a little friendly competition (and some air-conditioning) to date night. The modern riff on miniature golf rocks an onsite bar and curated rooms like the Conservatory, a lush, 9-hole golf course set amongst nature with bounties of soaring redwoods and beautiful cherry blossoms; or the Lodge, where you can snap a ski lift selfie with your boo thang and get toasty by the fire.
Darts & drinks at Flight Club
Montrose, $15 and up
Consider some friendly competition at social darts experience Flight Club, which combines an upscale pub atmosphere with creative cocktails, tasty bites, and good times. Loser owes back massage.
Hatchet therapy at BATL Axe Throwing
Shady Acres, $31.99 and up
Sticking your first bullseye is exactly the adrenaline pump you need on date night. Plus, where else can you show off your newly grown beard? Book a private bay at this hatchet house to throw knives, then head over to the nearby King’s Bierhaus to celebrate the victor with a liter of bier.
If you’re feeling artsy
Free art at Menil Campus
Montrose, Free with donations welcome
Wandering the picturesque grounds of Menil Campus hand-in-hand is quite the date experience. Start by perusing one the city’s most prized artscapes with a stroll through The Menil Collection, with a sky-lit main building designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano and housing art from prehistoric to modern day, plus Insta-worthy extras like the Dan Flavin Installation at Richmond Hall. Once you’ve got your art fix, finish with nosh, wine, and super deep conversation at Bistro Menil.
Classical music at a Candlelit Concert
Various locations, $25 and up
Whisking classical music away from the traditional concert hall, Fever’s Candlelight Concerts play in gorgeous settings in cities across the globe, and that includes Houston. Snag tickets to feel all the feels under the warm glows of candlelight as you listen to the haunting sounds of Beethoven, Vivaldi, and other musical legends like Rihanna.
If you want to bask in nature
Hand-held strolls in Memorial Park
Memorial Park, Free
One of the city’s crown jewel parks is the century-old Memorial Park, covering around 1,466 acres and featuring knockout attractions like the perfectly strollable Eastern Glades or the 155-acre visit-worthy Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. After you’ve worked up a sweat, grab chia bowls, heirloom masa pancakes, and matcha lattes at Vibrant, found over by the Memorial Park Running Center.
Bayouside picnics and views at Buffalo Bayou Park
Buffalo Bayou Park, Free
This reimagined bayou-side park is easily the best place to take in the Houston skyline. Grab a cheese board from Montrose Cheese & Wine and have an epic picnic at Eleanor Tinsley Park; stroll over to the Sabine Bridge to see the soaring skyscape upclose; and snap photos in front of all the public art installations or cute pups at the dog park.
If you want to pamper yourselves
Full luxury at the Trellis Spa by The Houstonian
Uptown, Prices vary
Transport yourself to a European villa and garden at this luxurious resort spa at The Houstonian. The 26,500-square-foot space houses soaking pools, open-air cabanas in a lush garden retreat, fireplaces, a meditation zone, and all the spa treatments you and your boo thang could desire. Book your treatments online, or check out even more spa action here.
Texas-shaped lazy river at Marriott Marquis
Downtown, Prices vary
A primo location near picturesque urban park Discovery Green is not the only special thing about Marriott Marquis Houston. It’s also got a giant, rooftop lazy river set in the shape of Texas that you’ll most definitely want to float around. Access is open to hotel guests year-round (it’s heated in the wintertime), but if you’re not staying here, you can still float it by booking spa appointments (couples massage, anyone?).
If you want a unique experience
Sunset vibes at Twilight Epiphany
Rice University, Free
This sense-bending light and sound installation is worth your date’s time. The acoustically engineered masterpiece is dubbed “Twilight Epiphany” thanks to a trippy LED light sequence that projects onto and through the structure’s open roof. Find it next to the Shepherd School of Music on the Rice University campus, and visit for free shows before sunrise and at sunset daily.
Underground art at The Cistern
Buffalo Bayou Park, $15 and up
The dark, cavernous, and slightly eerie space that is The Cistern practically oozes sex appeal. Going for a subterranean stroll is always an awesome date idea, but you’ll score even more points if you visit while totally rad multimedia installation “Haha Real” is on display (running now through November 2024). Inspired by the classic children’s story, The Velveteen Rabbit, artist Rachel Rossin mixes AI animation and video game graphics with traditional art methods to dream up a crazy cool landscape of incandescent holographics to pair with an immersive soundscape by Houston native Frewuhn.