Top 7 Columbus Mini (Kid-Free) Dates for Cool Couples

If you are lucky enough to remember to schedule a date night and have all your children relatively healthy when it comes to a night out... you better be running out the door when that babysitter comes over.

My husband and I usually aim for a four hour date.  That gives us just enough time to enjoy adult conversation without breaking the bank too badly. 

Here are my top ten four hour dates that we have actually been on:

1. Light of the Seven Matchsticks and dinner: Wes Anderson–inspired basement speakeasy with a 1920s vibe offering craft cocktails & small plates.   We had so much fun pretending we were in a different era and the drinks were amazing!   Tip: check hours and be prepared to wait some. Small but cozy.  Even if you wait though, write your drink on a library card and pass it through the slot.  After, we went out for a dinner at Whitney House but lots of great places to choose.

2. Party Studio and House Wine

We went on a double date for this one. The Party Studio Columbus offers private wine & canvas painting events & classes for adults, date nights or kids art parties in Central Ohio. We had a lot of fun learning how to paint a specific picture following easy step by step directions. Tip: bring your own wine!

HouseWine: House Wine in Old Worthington makes wine buying simple and fun. They also stock craft beer in the bottle and on draft.  We continued our wine adventure here and enjoyed learning about wine as we sampled various wines fit to our liking. This date was one of our favorites. I believe we ended the night getting some appetizers at Worthington Inn but you can sneak the eating part in anywhere:)

3. Level One Bar & Arcade and O’Nellys

With 24 local and regional craft beers on tap, plus Columbus' largest collection of classic arcade and pinball machines, your night is sure to be fun and nostalgic. My husband and I traveled back in time as we played our favorite games we recalled growing up playing... all while sipping on a drink.

O’Nellys Sports Pub & Grill: Locally owned & operated, family friendly, and a down home feel, you can sit back and enjoy the big game or listen to one the area's premier live music. The best part? No cover charge! Tip: their St.Patricks Day party is off the hook! (Wow.. I really just said that!) My husband and I always plan a date for this and enjoy the Irish Step Dancers, green beer, and non stop entertainment.

4. Lindeys

Clubby, convivial American bistro featuring a copper-topped bar, a patio & a surf 'n' turf menu.   This restaurant is our once a year celebration dinner. Whether it be for anniversaries or birthdays we absolutely love this place. The dinner is always top notch, we always splurge on dessert and we have such great conversation we can’t recommend this pace enough!   Tip: Plan ahead and make sure you make a reservation!

5. The Top SteakHouse

The Top is from another age, when folks dressed up to go out for dinner and when lunches came with three martinis and hasn’t changed much since they opened their doors in 1955.   (I am starting to sense a theme here that maybe my husband and I are actually time traveling and from another era!) Anyway,this place is delicious. The ambiance is amazing. Tip: We loved the bacon appetizer!

6. Crosswoods Theater 

17 state-of-the art auditoriums, each with comfortable DreamLounger™ recliner seating. There's plenty of food and beverage options at this theatre. Tip: reserve your specific seats online!

7. Productive date: Starbucks, Target, and a bookstore 

What can I say!?  Sometimes with having a house full of littles you need to be somewhat productive at the same time as rekindling your love.  That why this perfect productive date is all about balance of what needs to be done and having fun with your other half. We love sitting down at Starbucks. Ordering some yummy drinks, grabbing some chairs, and discussing our life long passions. This gives us just enough caffeine to go in to our next phase of the date.  

Ah, Target... wow I love thee! We can actually shop here without trying to grab groceries, clothes, and kids at the same time.  We can grab what we need and maybe make some extra time strolling down our favorite aisles.   

And, one last stop. A bookstore. I love this part because whatever we are passionate about at the time (health, food, a new hobby, traveling) we can find books together to continue our adventure.  

We go home feeling happy we were productive and excited to continue the date with books and maybe some wine...

There are endless cool places in Columbus. These are merely our favorite dates.  We can’t wait to experience more places and write about our next favorites soon!