If you’re looking for date ideas on the Upper East Side, you’re in the right place!
New York City is an incredible city to visit for couples. And if you’re planning on spending time on the Upper East Side, you can have a great time with your partner. From having a drink with an incredible view to listening to music to seeing art, this neighborhood in Manhattan has a lot to offer for couples!
I made this list with the best Upper East Side date ideas to help you plan your date with your partner. From romantic activities to fun activities to relaxing activities, I made sure to include a large variety of ideas!
Date Ideas on the Upper East Side
Have a Drink With a View at the Cantor Roof Garden Bar
If you want to have a great time with your significant other, the Cantor Roof Garden Bar is a great place out when you are on the Upper East Side. This is a bar that you can find at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, or The Met, is not only a great place for seeing art, but it is also a very romantic place for its rooftop.
Here, you can enjoy a drink with your partner while you get a gorgeous view of Central Park, and it is also possible to go here during sunset on Friday and Saturday evenings during summer.
Keep in mind when planning a date that the garden might close due to bad weather.
Address: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
Go to Date Night at The Met
The garden of The Met is not the only reason why The Met is a great place to consider when you want to have a romantic time.
The Met is also great because of the events that take place there. For example, you can go to the museum for the “Date Night at The Met” event.
This is an event that takes place on Friday and Saturday nights of every week. During it, you can listen to amazing live classical music, and there are performances throughout the building.
In addition to that, you can also explore the collection of the museum during this event and it is possible to go to the cafes of the museum for drinks and snacks.
Address: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
Have Ice Cream at the UES
A fun date idea on the Upper East Side is getting ice cream. Throughout the neighborhood, you can find many good places for this, and one of the best ice cream parlors is UES.
This is a cute place where you can choose from many different flavors of ice cream which is very delicious.
But that’s not all! This ice cream store hides a secret speakeasy that is perfect for a date night.
Once you go through the hidden entrance, you enter a wonderful space where you can get all kinds of unique cocktails. Furthermore, the speakeasy has a very elegant interior and great customer service.
Address: 1707 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10128
Enjoy a Show at Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College
A great way to have a romantic time is to go to the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College. This is a performing arts theater that is part of Hunter College, and you can see great shows here with your significant other.
More than 200 different live performances take place at the Kaye Playhouse throughout the year. Moreover, many famous artists started their acting careers at the playhouse.
You can, nowadays, go here for great dance shows, live theater, and concerts. For example, you can enjoy great classical music concerts here, and lots of plays take place here.
What makes the playhouse great for a date as well is that it has an intimate atmosphere and there are comfortable seats.
Address: 695 Park Ave, New York, NY 10065
Have Bagels at Tal Bagels
Tal Bagels, located at 1228 Lexington Avenue, is a great restaurant that makes for one of the best date ideas on the Upper East Side if you like bagels.
This is a bagel shop where you can choose from many different types of bagels that are very tasty. The dough of the bagels of Tal Bagels is perfect and there are many fillings to choose from, so there’s a bagel for everyone’s liking.
In addition to that, you can get great coffee drinks at Tal Bagels.
Address: 1324 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10128
Ride the Roosevelt Island Tram
The Roosevelt Island Tramway is wonderful for a romantic date.
This is an aerial tramway that connects Manhattan with Roosevelt Island and it operates every day of the week. The tramway opened in 1976 and is the oldest aerial tramway in North America.
While you ride the tramway, you can enjoy great views of the Upper East Side and the East River. Also, you can explore Roosevelt Island with your partner.
What’s great about the tramway is that it is a very affordable activity in the city, and you can pay for the ride using the MTA MetroCard. So this is one of the cheapest ideas for a date.
Address: 254 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022
Check Out The Frick Collection
The Frick Collection makes for one of the best date ideas on the Upper East Side if you and your significant other like art a lot. You can find the collection at Frick Madison, which is a temporary location at 945 Madison Avenue, that is used while the original building is renovated.
At this museum, you can see beautiful works of fine art by famous European artists, such as Titian, Vermeer, and Goya. These include paintings, sculptures, and lots of other objects, and in addition to that, there are temporary exhibitions that take place at The Frick Collection.
I’m sure that you can have a romantic time here when you explore the collection with your date!
Address: 1 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021
See a Movie at Cinema 123 by Angelika
Cinema 123 by Angelika is a movie theater that you can find on the Upper East Side, and it is a perfect place for a romantic date night. You can see a movie here, and doing so is also one of the best things to do at night on the Upper East Side.
At Cinema 123 by Angelika, you can see a variety of films. For example, you can see indie and foreign films here, but you can also go to the movie theater to see the latest mainstream movies.
This, combined with the great popcorn and comfortable reclining seats that you can find here, makes this a great spot for a romantic date in the neighborhood.
Address: 1001 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10065
Go to the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a museum that can be found on the Upper East Side in the Andrew Carnegie Mansion.
This museum is very interesting to visit with your partner if you want to learn about both historical and contemporary design.
The collection of the museum covers a period of about 250 years of design, which makes the collection very diverse and interesting to see.
In addition to that, the building of the museum makes your date experience here even better. It is a beautiful Georgian-style mansion that dates back to the end of the 19th century, and the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Address: 2 E 91st St, New York, NY 10128
Go to Shakespeare & Co
Shakespeare & Co. is another wonderful place on the Upper East Side that you can consider when looking for romantic places in the neighborhood. This is an iconic bookstore that was founded in the year 1983 and you can find it at 939 Lexington Avenue.
The independent bookstore has a great cozy atmosphere and a good selection of books. It can be a lot of fun to go here and buy a book together.
Also, there is a coffee shop at the bookstore where you can get delicious coffee and tasty pastries, making Shakespeare & Co. even better for a romantic date on the Upper East Side.
Address: 939 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10065
Have a Drink at The Penrose
The Penrose is a bar you should definitely check out when looking for Upper East Side date ideas. It’s located at 1590 Second Avenue and it’s the perfect place to have creative cocktails with your significant other.
This bar has a very relaxing and cozy vibe, and the bar has a very elegant interior. In addition to that, the staff of The Penrose is very friendly.
The Penrose is also a great spot to have brunch as you can get amazing food here, including delicious sandwiches.
Address: 1590 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10028
Go to Kings’ Carriage House and Have Afternoon Tea
The Kings’ Carriage House, located at 251 East 82nd Street, is a wonderful place to have afternoon tea with your significant other.
This place has a wonderful atmosphere with beautiful decorations ad furniture. It is a great place to step back in time. Furthermore, the teapots and silverware of this place are very pretty and elegant.
You can get amazing afternoon tea here and there are many different types of tea to choose from. Moreover, the sandwiches, scones, and other treats that you can get here are very tasty.
Don’t want to have afternoon tea, but still want to enjoy the Kings’ Carriage House’s ambiance, then you can also go here to have dinner or lunch.
Address: 251 E 82nd St, New York, NY 10028
Have a Burger at JG Melon
JG Melon is a wonderful restaurant that is perfect for a date. You can find his restaurant at 1291 3rd Avenue on the Upper East Side.
The restaurant is a well-known establishment that was opened in 1972, and it is a restaurant that is known for great burgers. You can get many different types of burgers here and other types of dishes, including good salads. The fries at his place are delicious too.
Furthermore, the building of JG Melon dates back to the 1920s and has a classic exterior.
In the past, the restaurant has been visited by famous people and many say that the restaurant has one of the best burgers in New York City.
Address: 1291 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10021
Visit the Neue Galerie New York
If you and your significant other like modern art, you can check out Neue Galerie New York, which is a museum that can be found along Museum Mile.
At the museum, you can see Austrian and German art from the 20th century.
The museum’s collection includes art made by German and Austrian artists, and it consists of both fine art and decorative arts. Some of the artists whose works you can see at the Neue Galerie New York include Gustvan Klimt, Otto Dix, and Paul Klee.
Another reason why this museum is great for a date on the Upper East Side is that you can find Café Sabarsky at Neue Galerie New York. This is a Viennese café where you can see historic decor and have delicious pastries and drinks.
Address: 1048 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
See Art at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
One of the best museums on the Upper East Side, and a great place for a romantic date in the neighborhood is The Guggenheim.
This is an interesting museum that can be found on the Upper East Side at 1071 Fifth Avenue.
The museum has a permanent collection of modern and contemporary art, which includes works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Klee, and Mondrian.
Furthermore, there are temporary exhibitions of both modern and contemporary art that take place at the museum. For example, there are exhibitions here that focus on drawings, paintings, sculptures, and other objects.
What’s unique about the Guggenheim as well is that it is housed in a unique building that was designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Address: 1071 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128
Have a Drink at Birch Coffee
A simple coffee date can be a very romantic thing to do on the Upper East Side, and a wonderful spot for this is Birch Coffee.
This is a coffee shop where you can get specialty coffee made with locally roasted coffee beans.
Moreover, this is a small coffee shop with a friendly atmosphere and good service.
In addition to that, you can have a wonderful date when you combine going to Birch Coffee with other date ideas on this list or you can grab a cup of coffee here and then go for a relaxing walk in Central Park.
Address: 134 1/2 E 62nd St, New York, NY 10065
Do a Self-Guided Tour of the Upper East Side
Another great idea is to just go for a walk in the neighborhood and check out the architecture during a self-guided tour.
Throughout the neighborhood, you can find a lot of amazing buildings that are interesting to see.
Whether you like modern or historic buildings, you can find it here.
For example, the historic building of The Met is very interesting to see. Also, there are many modern buildings such as the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building of The Guggenheim.
Also, you could do a self-guided tour with your significant other. This is a type of tour that you can download to your phone and that you can then do without a guide. The tour guides you to all kinds of interesting places in the city and you can learn about the places that you visit using the tour.
Have a Treat at Orwashers Bakery
The neighborhood is home to many amazing bakeries that can be great for a date, and one of the best places to check out when you are on the Upper East Side is Orwashers Bakery.
This is an artisan bakery that was founded in the year 1916 by a Hungarian immigrant family. Nowadays, the bakery has several locations.
At Orwashers Bakery, you can get amazing cookies, quality bread, bagels, and many other treats.
Furthermore, you can get hot drinks at Orwashers Bakery, such as a cup of coffee, making it a great place for a date.
Address: 308 E 78th St, New York, NY 10075
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Upper East Side Date Ideas Tips
When considering one of these Upper East Side date ideas, I recommend always checking the opening hours of each place before you go there at the last moment. Opening hours may change occasionally, and you don’t want to go to a closed place.
Also, some of the ideas of this article require tickets that you buy in advance, so keep that in mind when you are planning a date.
Date Ideas on the Upper East Side Map
Thanks for reading my guide to the best date ideas on the Upper East Side. I hope I helped you plan your date!