Whether you like shows, books, food, or something else, there are a lot of activities that make for fun date ideas on the Upper West Side.
If you’re in New York City and you’re planning a date, going to the Upper West Side is great as there’s a lot to do. From having fun while attending a comedy show to enjoying a drink with an amazing view at a rooftop bar to attending an opera show, there’s something for everyone’s liking.
In this Upper West Side date ideas guide, I included a large variety of great activities to help you decide what to do!
Date Ideas on the Upper West Side
See a Show at the David H. Koch Theater
The David H. Koch Theater is one of the buildings that is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side.
This theater was designed for dance performances, and during a date night, you can see a show of the New York City Ballet at this place. The New York City Ballet is one of the world’s best dance companies, and it was founded in 1948.
A show at this place is a beautiful combination of dance and classical music, and the grand theater, which has a capacity of more than 2,500, makes seeing a show even more spectacular.
Each performance at the David H. Koch Theater takes about 1 to 2 hours, and the shows are usually at night.
Address: 20 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023
Have Breakfast at the Crepes on Columbus
You can have an incredible date in the morning by going to one of the best breakfast spots on the Upper West Side. A great restaurant that you can go to is Crepes on Columbus, which you can find at 990 Columbus Avenue.
At this restaurant, you can get all kinds of sweet and savory crepes.
For example, one of the best sweet options on the menu is the “Lemon & Sugar Crepe”, and one of the best savory ones is the “Chicken, Pesto Cream, Spinach, and Mushroom Crepe”.
In addition to great food, this restaurant also serves delicious smoothies. For example, you can get the “Berry Banana Smoothie”, which is a smoothie made with strawberries, strawberry ice cream, and bananas.
Address: 990 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10025
Attend a Comedy Show at Stand Up NY
Stand Up NY is a comedy club on the Upper West Side that opened in 1986. It is one of the best comedy clubs in New York City and in the past many famous comedians performed here, including Chris Rock and Amy Schumer.
Going to a comedy show here is one of the most fun date ideas on the Upper West Side and the venue hosts these on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
On Thursdays, you can attend an open mic night, and on other days you can see other types of shows. You can check out the calendar of Stand Up NY to see which event you want to attend during a date, and you can also see the line up of each event in the calendar.
The comedy club has a small interior and you’ll be close to the stage when you see a show here.
Address: 236 W 78th St, New York, NY 10024
See a Movie at Film at Lincoln Center
Film at Lincoln Center is a nonprofit organization that you can find at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side. You can go here to see a movie on a date.
Film at Lincoln Center focuses on cinema as an art form, and you can see many different types of films at this place, including new releases, films made by emerging directors, and films from all around the world.
You can also sometimes see a movie on 70mm at this movie theater, and the New York Film Festival is held at the theater.
When you go to this place, you can also go to Café Paradiso before or afterward, which is a cafe that is located at Film at Lincoln Center. This cafe serves Italian-American food, and you can get salads, sandwiches, pastries, pizza, and pasta dishes at this place.
Seeing a movie here is also one of the best things to do at night in New York City.
Address: 70 Lincoln Center Plaza #4, New York, NY 10023
Enjoy a Drink With a View at The Empire Rooftop
The Empire Rooftop is a rooftop bar that is located on the 12th floor of the Empire Hotel, which is situated at 44 West 63rd Street on the Upper West Side. You can go here to have a drink and enjoy a view of the Lincoln Center at the same time.
The rooftop bar has both an indoor and outdoor area, so you can go there even when it is raining outside.
The Empire Rooftop’s menu features all kinds of specialty cocktails and other types of drinks. For example, you can get the “Paloma” cocktail, which is made with grapefruit juice, tequila, and fresh lime.
In addition to that, you can have food at The Empire Rooftop as well. There are all kinds of handhelds, appetizers, and platters to choose from. One of the best items on the food menu is the “Cauliflower Crust Pizza”, which is made with onion, cherry tomato, bell pepper, and mozzarella cheese.
You can also have a brunch date with a view at The Empire Rooftop on Saturdays and Sundays.
Address: 44 W 63rd St., New York, NY 10023
Go to the American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the best museums in New York City where you can learn about the history of the universe and natural world while on a date.
This is a very large museum with many different types of permanent exhibitions that cover a wide variety of topics.
For example, there are different halls where you can see and learn about fossils. One of these is the “Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs”, which is home to the fossils of an Apatosaurs and a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
You can also go to the “Hall of New York City Birds”, which is all about the hundreds of species of birds that live in the New York area.
There are several halls where you can learn about the origins of humans. For example, you can explore the “Northwest Coast Hall”, which is about the history of indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest.
Address: 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024
Get Delicious Rose-Shaped Italian Gelato at Amorino Gelato
Amorino Gelato is a chain of ice cream stores with locations all around the world. One of these is located at 414 Amsterdam Avenue, and getting ice cream there is a great date idea on the Upper West Side.
You can get delicious authentic Italian gelato at this place that is made with high-quality ingredients. Each treat you get here is made in the shape of a rose, as the flavors that you choose are added as petals.
There are lots of different flavors to choose from. Some of the most delicious flavors that you can choose from include the “Chocolate Amorino”, “Blueberry Cheesecake”, and “Red Berries Sorbet”. There are both classic and creative flavors.
Address: 414 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024
Get a Cup of Coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee
There are many coffee shops on the Upper West Side where you can go to enjoy a cup of coffee during a date, and one of the best ones is the Upper West Location of Blue Bottle Coffee, which you can find at 279 Amsterdam Avenue.
Blue Bottle Coffee is a chain of third-wave coffee shops with locations throughout the USA that is focused on sustainable coffee drinks and high-quality, specialty coffee drinks.
You can get various single-origin coffee drinks at this place, there are pour-over options, and there are other unique types of drinks.
You can also get New Orleans-style iced coffee drinks here, and there are unique tea drinks, such as “Hojicha Lattes”.
In addition to that, you can get delicious cookies and other baked goods at Blue Bottle Coffee.
Address: 279 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023
Browse the Books at Shakespeare & Co.
Shakespeare & Co. is one of the best bookstores in New York City, and you can find it on Broadway on the Upper West Side. You can browse the books of the store and buy a book if you like one on a date.
The bookstore offers a great selection of books, and you can check out one of the staff’s picks.
There are also events at the location that you can attend. For example, there are author events.
In addition to that, Shakespeare & Co. has a cafe where you can get a delicious cup of coffee when you visit the bookstore. You can choose between many different types of coffee drinks, as well as other types of drinks. The cafe also serves delicious food, including pastries.
Address: 2020 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
Enjoy an Opera Show at the Metropolitan Opera House
The Metropolitan Opera House is a building that is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The venue is the home of several professional performing arts organizations and you can see all kinds of great shows here, which is a very romantic thing to do on the Upper West Side.
The venue has a capacity of more than 3,800 seats, which makes it the world’s largest opera house.
The venue is the home of the Metropolitan Opera, which is an organization that was established in 1883. Each season, there are about 200 opera performances that you can attend.
The American Ballet Theatre, which is a classical ballet company, is also based at the Metropolitan Opera House. This is one of the best ballet companies in the world, and you can attend a ballet performance as well.
Address: 30 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023
Enjoy Delicious Food at Tavern on the Green
Tavern on the Green is one of the most famous restaurants in New York City. The iconic restaurant is situated in Central Park in the middle of the park’s beautiful nature. The restaurant has a beautiful interior design and there’s a large outdoor dining area.
You can enjoy delicious food made with seasonal and locally sourced ingredients at the restaurant, and Tavern on the Green serves brunch, lunch, and dinner.
It is possible to go here for brunch on the weekend. The brunch menu includes many different types of dishes, including French toast, scrambled egg pizza, seafood dishes, pancakes, and much more.
Tavern on the Green is one of the best lunch spots in New York City. A great dish on the lunch menu is the “Salmon Burger”, which is served with chili aioli, a cilantro fennel salad, and sweet potato fries.
For dinner, one of the best dishes to get at this place is the “Housemade Three Cheese Ravioli”, which comes with micro basil and smoked tomato sauce.
Address: 67th St & Central Park West, New York, NY 10023
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Upper West Side Date Ideas Tips
Each one of the activities that I mentioned is great for a date on the Upper West Side, but you can also combine several of these for a longer date. For example, you can first learn about the natural world at the American Museum of Natural History and then get delicious ice cream at Amorino Gelato.
Date Ideas on the Upper West Side Map
I hope you liked these date ideas on the Upper West Side. Thanks for reading my guide!