Good First Date Ideas and How to Pull Them Off

Say goodbye to bad dates in 2024 with these great first date night ideas in Sydney! Impress your romantic interest with a creative experience! From art classes that will see you creating masterpieces side by side to pottery classes that will ignite your sense of touch, these romantic Sydney experiences are a great opportunity to get to know your date in a more intimate and playful way. 

After fun things to do on a first date that will have you returning home completely satisfied? Get creative at an Italian pasta making class and lock eyes with your date as you knead homemade pasta dough. Looking for something a little different? Arrange colourful glass tiles into a beautiful mosaic and make Turkish mosaic lamps together. You can even try an online class with DIY kits delivered and have your first date from home.

Whatever you decide to do it’s important to think outside of the box and organise an activity that you’ll both enjoy. Have a go at one of these first date ideas and navigate the awkwardness of your meeting with food, painting or craft!

Reenact romantic scenes at a wheel throwing workshop

For many, the term wheel throwing conjures up romantic scenes featuring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore - and that’s for good reason! Wheel throwing can be a seriously romantic activity to try on the first date. Not only will you get to experience this tactile and hands-on experience with your new love interest, but even if things don’t work out between the two of you, you’ll both still get to keep some awesome handmade ceramics.

Try out a clay and sip wheel throwing class with Print Paint Pot in Artarmon and discover this fun and mindful hobby over BYO drinks. After getting familiar with the wheel throwing pottery basics, make your own simple pots and shapes and get your favourite piece kiln-fired.

Make Italian pasta from scratch 

One great way to avoid first date awkwardness and lulls in conversation is to learn how to cook up an absolute storm with Sydney Cooking School in Neutral Bay. Bring your love interest along to their pasta and gnocchi cooking class for a night that is sure to be both memorable and a great chance to connect with one another over a shared appreciation of food.

During this hands-on class, you’ll get familiar with fresh pasta dough to make your very own tortellini, ravioli and gnocchi as well as lip-smacking sauces and accompaniments. At the end of the session, you and your date get to sit down and enjoy your pasta feast with a well-deserved glass of wine. These culinary date ideas for foodies can't be beat!

Craft colourful Turkish mosaic lamps

Although it may not be conventional, learning how to make a traditional Turkish mosaic lamp with Art Masterclass in Darlinghurst is definitely an exceptional pick when it comes to first date ideas in Sydney. Connect with your potential partner over your unique mosaic design and enjoy this fun and relaxing process with delicious Turkish tea and shortbread cookies. 

An ever-popular Sydney workshop, the Turkish mosaic lamp class allows you and your first date to connect over craft and learn how to be comfortable with one another.

Roll sushi like a pro

If you and your date are fans of Japanese cuisine, why not try a sushi making class in Sydney? It's a fun and engaging way to spend the evening, plus you get to feast on your creations at the end.

Culinary Studio Dekura in Chatswood offers an exciting sushi making class that will have you both rolling like pros in no time. This hands-on cooking class is a great opportunity to bond with your date over shared sushi rolls and other Japanese delights. From mastering the art of preparing sushi rice to perfecting the delicate balance of flavours in each roll, this experience is sure to leave an impression. And who knows? If things go well, you could be making sushi together again in the future!

The cherry on top? You'll wrap up this unforgettable date night by enjoying your culinary masterpieces with some delicious green tea. This unique Sydney experience is definitely one for the food-loving romantics out there!

Virtual date ideas

Don’t worry, this isn’t about dating AI or wearing headsets and finding a table for two in the Matrix, we promise. When you’re hunting down good date ideas you may need to get creative. If you’re stuck inside at home and can’t go to the movies or eat out at your favourite restaurant that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. 

Virtual experiences are some of the best things to do at home. We’d love to suggest that you just invite them over to your house - and we’ll get to that - but that can be a bit forward, depending on your circumstances. 

The concept of first date ideas over a livestream is a daunting prospect. It’s all well and good to meet someone in person and decide you don’t like them, but it can be difficult to get a read on someone via Zoom. Nonetheless, it’s an idea worth considering when self isolating at home or generally avoiding the crowds. 

The key to making them work is not in the strength of the network connection or how cool your house looks in the background (though both help your chances), it’s what you two are actually connecting over. If you’ve never properly met the person, it’s important to have an activity for your social distancing date ideas that you can bond over. To be honest, that’s just a good first date policy. Nothing promotes “sitting in silence” like having absolutely no plan beyond meeting up. When it comes to first date ideas, always have something up your sleeve. 

How to pull off a virtual first date

So once you’ve exchanged some pleasantries and decided you’d like your first date night ideas to finally come to fruition, you may also be interested in trying an online class together. Whether you’re in isolation or would just rather connect virtually, there are so many great options for a stay-at-home first date. 

All of our workshops are fantastic, but not all of them are for everyone, so if you’re doing the choosing, try and get a gauge on what your date might be interested in. You can obviously talk it out, but if you’re looking at making it a surprise, you need to do some sleuthing. 

As an example, if you’re eyeing up one of the beginner’s watercolour workshops for your fun date ideas, good call. They’re fun, accessible, and you get to indulge your creative side (that can be a real hit when it comes to date ideas by the way). However, it’s not a bad idea to drop a few painting-related hints into the conversation prior to booking it. 

If they’ve painted too much or they’re already an accomplished artist, it might not be the best pick for your first date ideas. If they’re overly nervous and have an irrational hatred of both water and colour, probably give it a miss too. Reading the room is the most important thing you can do when it comes to good first date ideas at home, even if you’re not allowed inside that room.