Take Me Out: 7 Student-Friendly Date Ideas In Dublin
Have you been seeing someone for a while and taking them down the local is no longer cutting it as a date? Or do you want to pull the beour that makes the eyes at you in your Geography tutorial but in a respectful, impressive manner? We've put together our definitive list of fun, different and student-friendly date ideas in Dublin city centre and the surrounding area.
Token, Smithfield
Token is an arcade, a restaurant and a bar all at the same time. Bring your MCM to play Donkey Kong, WWF Royal Rumble or Tetris on old-school arcade cabinets or swing by to one of their events. Events so far have included cosplay workshops and BYOB board game nights. If that's not enough, Token have a great and affordable menu. Hot dogs, tacos and burgers come in pairs from €7.95. We recommend the Side Chick (fried chicken, salted honey butter and signature Token slaw).
Dún Laoghaire Harbour and Promenade, Dún Laoghaire
Pack a bag full of Aldi goodies (maybe even a sneaky buidéal ó plonk) and ride the rails to Dún Laoghaire, one of the most beautiful seaside towns in the country. We recommend leaving your visit for a cloudy day so that you're not left hustling through crowds of suburbanites chasing the sun. Walk along the pier, take a look at the lighthouse and visit the Victorian-style People's Park. While you're there, you might as well split a Scrumdiddlys and Instagram it so everybody knows you're cool.
The Lighthouse Cinema, Smithfield
Catch a matinee showing (before 5pm) with your lover at The Lighthouse for only €6.50 per ticket with your student card! The beauty of The Lighthouse is that you're a hell of a lot less likely to be sat behind rude, talkative teenagers. The Lighthouse shows a good mix of both indie and mainstream movies, and you can bring coffee or an alcoholic beverage into the screen. There's also a ping pong table!
Laughter Lounge, 8 Eden Quay
Laughter Lounge is Dublin's classic comedy venue. On any given night, you can see acts like Michael McIntyre, Jimmy Carr and the funny people from Father Ted. It's not the cheapest date initially, with each ticket going for around €26, but you get a free beer. On top of that, if you sign up for the mailing list at the bar, you'll receive emails every few months with free tickets for you and a plus-one! Don't balk at names of people you've never seen before. In a line-up of five or so comedians, there's bound to be someone who'll make you nearly wet yourself.
The National Gallery of Ireland, Merrion Square West
Nothing says "I'm classy" like taking a date to an art gallery. It's completely free to browse the permanent collections at the National Gallery and temporary exhibition entrance is discounted for students too. Have a look at the Nortrait (the Graham Norton portrait, for the uninitiated) in the portrait gallery, Jack B. Yeats' 'The Liffey Swim' and even a bit of Picasso.
Umi Falafel, Dame St./Rathmines
Umi Falafel is the location for some delicious, nutritious and affordable meals. Of course, they serve falafel, but their menu also includes breaded haloumi cheese sticks. Great, now I'm covered in my own drool. Umi is both vegetarian and vegan friendly and you can get a falafel pitta from €6 if you're eating in.
The Clockwork Door, Temple Bar
The Clockwork Door may just be a date spot like no other. At this Temple Bar "Time House", you pay for your experience by the minute (8c per minute for the first two hours, 6c per minute for the next two hours, and 5c per minute for the rest of the day). Help yourself to unlimited tea, coffee, popcorn and Wi-Fi and feel free to bring in your takeaway. Unfortunately, the venue is strictly alcohol-free but you can while away your time playing board games, listening to guest speakers or joining in on a game of Dungeons and Dragons.
Make sure to ask about student discounts wherever you end up going - the worst thing that can happen is that they'll say no!