Little Black Book

A Personal Matchmaking Service

0207 993 8160

Date Night

Hooray- you’ve got a date! But how is your dating game? Are you a seasoned dater who takes the prospect of meeting new people in your stride? Or does the mere thought of a first date send you into a tail spin and your head instantly fill with frenzied thoughts about where to go and what to do?! Regardless of what camp you are in, we can make sure you suitably impress with our exciting new partner ‘Date Night’.

Date Night pledge to ‘keep you at the top of your dating game with latest venues and dating tips’. They, like us realise the importance of making an effort. Regardless of how many dates you have been on with other people in the past, don’t be apathetic, treat this date as though it were the first: relax, turn on your chat, be present and most importantly enjoy the experience. Dr. Wendy Walsh, Clinical Psychologist and expert on relationships and human behaviour, maintains that we should make dating ceremonial: ‘If dating has become a gulp of martini in a busy happy hour, there’s a good chance you’ve lost focus. For romance to grow into something serious it should feel special.. Add some pomp and pageantry to the romantic memories you are creating’.

So as Walsh says, make the date impressive and memorable, every marriage or lifelong partnership begins with a first date, so make it a goodun, you never know this could be the story that you recount to your children and children’s children in years to come! Here’s how ‘Date Night’ can make that happen: They filter endless online content and select the newest, freshest and most exciting ideas for you. Saving you the time of trawling the web, reading masses of reviews to simply fall back on previous tried and trusted and dare I say, slightly boring venues.

If you want to leave ALL the planning to ‘Date Night’ use their unique service: ‘ Secret Dates’ and let them organise a one off experience with all the ‘buzz and none of the hassle’. All you need to do is show up! The thrilling part of using this service is that both parties are in the dark about the date, you will be sent cheeky messages in the run up to give you clues about what you are doing. All these details add intrigue and excitement and also put both parties on a neutral, level playing field, neither in each other’s ‘hood’.

At a fundamental level, humans connect through shared experience, so why not connect through a fabulous, memorable and exciting shared experience! Get yourselves on ‘Date Night’ and let them plan the date of all dates. Even if your date isn’t ‘the one’ you will both have had a brilliant night, and you never know, on your 10th wedding anniversary you may be going back to where it all began - like me next week ;-). Enjoy!

The Tinder Effect

The Tinder Effect

The number of people using Dating apps has exploded and the effect this is having on behaviour in the dating world is catastrophic. There are over 50 million Tinder users and 1.6 billion swipes daily…that’s a lot of people looking for hook ups! And the most worrying thing it’s based purely on physical attractiveness.

What dating apps has created is the phenomenon that dating is a game, sexualised by technology. As Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic explains, “Tinder is the latest example for the sexualisation of urban gadgets: It is nomophobia, Facebook-porn and Candy Crush Saga all in one”. Sadly, the perceived sea of choice that Tinder offers its users has led to an inability to commit. Instead, people date several people at once in a bid to keep their options open… ‘what if there is something better out there?’. I’ve purposely used ‘something’ rather than ‘someone’ because objectification is sadly rife.

The idea of ‘The Paradox of Choice’ shows that having lots of options can actually make decision making more confusing … have you ever tried to find a film on Netflix?Unfortunately when people are trying to find a real meaningful relationship in the real world they are taking their ‘Tinderisms’ with them. This fear of making a relationship official and focusing their attention on just one person means they are losing out on ever truly getting to know someone deeper than at a superficial level. As Clinical Psycholgist Dr. Wendy Walsh states, “we are wired to bond, this is good for us, but if there is so much sexual opportunity we’re actually not bonding…it is hard for us to focus on one relationship.” Walsh warns against using “short term dating strategies for long term goals”.

Another backlash of online dating and particularly apps is the absolute obsession with physical attractiveness. But let’s just talk about profiles for a moment; these pictures have been carefully curated and filtered to show their very best selves. This isn’t real life, nobody looks like their Tinder photo all of the time. This constant pool of Tinder perfect profiles has increased the average levels of attractiveness compared to the real 3D world.

So let’s get real, if you want to find a person to have a meaningful relationship with you need to step into the real world and leave your ‘swiping’ mentality at the door. Finding your partner isn’t about instant gratification and churning through potential dates. It is about taking the time to get to know somebody, and the key to remember; is they are a ‘somebody’. Looking for a life partner isn’t a game, and if a game is what you’re after.. stick to Tinder!

8 Sky High Dates

With this heat wave set to stay why not take your dating up a level..literally! Head to one of London’s finest roof top bars and soak up one of the planets finest skylines. Whether you are after a cosy and intimate bar or somewhere to dance into the small hours Little Black Book has got a roof terrace for you:

South Banks Mondrian Hotel - Rumpus room: For super swanky head to the Rumpus room at the Mondrian, a fabulous hotel bar on the South Bank. If you are a mid-week dater, hit it up on a Wednesday and join them for live music and a special Grey Goose cocktail menu with all drinks £10 – bargain!

https://www.morganshotelgroup.com/mondrian/mondrian-london/eat-drink/rumpus-room

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Bar Elba in Waterloo - If you are after a fun party vibe, Bar Elba is the place for you. The bar takes its name from the tiny Island of Elba, off the Tuscan coast where Napolean was exiled in 1814. He apparently took his horse and a few hundred closest pals and partied for 300 days!! What a dude! So grab a space on one of the communal tables and get involved in the extensive cocktail list and you too will soon be partying Napolean style!

http://www.bar-elba.co.uk/

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Culpeper Roof Garden - This is a little oasis of calm in the hustle and bustle of the city. The roof top is used to grow vegetables and herbs which feature on the gastro pubs modern menu. Get organised and book in advance as seating is limited, relax and enjoy the peace.. and the giant gerkin, yes really!

https://www.theculpeper.com/rooftop/

Radio Rooftop Bar, ME London Hotel - This super slick terrace will have you reminiscing of nights spent on the White Isle. So if plush bars with background house beats are your thing head to Radio Rooftop for your own Ibiza experience in the Big Smoke.

http://radiorooftop.com/london/

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Dalston Roof Park - The spacious roof top boasts 2 bars and a retractable roof! So whether you’re soaking up the heatwave or avoiding getting soaked – this bar has got our climate covered! Pop up food traders are taking up residencies alongside the DJ’s so head down for a drink, nibble and dance. Safely in the knowledge that all the money made at Dalston Roof Park goes towards supporting ‘The Bootstrap Company’, a registered charity based in Hackney, helping to alleviate poverty and further education in the local community…go on have another drink, it would be rude not to!

http://www.bootstrapcompany.co.uk/about-dalston-roof-park/

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Aviary, Montcalm Hotel - For stylish terrace action this bar on Finsbury Square is the place for you. Sip a botanical cocktail 10 floors up whilst soaking up spectacular views of the city. As the sun goes down cosy up under blankets and unwind whilst watching the city’s skyline lighting up before you. 

https://www.themontcalm.com/aviary-at-the-montcalm-royal-london-house-8418.html

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The Rooftop, St James -   As views go the bar on top of the Trafalgar Hotel is iconic and well worth a visit. With many cocktails named after London’s landmarks head up, drink a ‘Soho Sunset’ and join the ranks of many and take a selfie with Admiral Nelson!

https://trafalgarstjames.com/the-rooftop

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Boundary Rooftop Bar, Shoreditch – Perched upon the Conran designed Boundary Project this rooftop offers a retreat from the buzz taking place below. Offering a superbly simple menu of seafood and skewers the Boundary allows you to relax and feel refined at the same time. 

https://boundary.london/rooftop/

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