5 Tips for Singles Looking for Love in London

The further you travel into adulthood, the more difficult navigating the dating scene becomes. Now imagine finding yourself living in London, which is home to around 8.8 million people. Londoners, whether by birth or migration, lead a very different lifestyle when compared to the rest of the country, and it can make dating feel like a real mission. Lucky for you, we’re here to give you five tips on looking for love in London.

Wave Goodbye to Traditional Dating

Meeting people and arranging a date used to involve heading bars, pubs, clubs, and other events. You’d expect a potential match to lay on some smooth talk and even buy you a drink; like something out of a rom-com. If this is the type of experience you’re looking for, then London is the wrong city for you.

Dating in London in 2023 always happens online before being taken into the real world. If you haven’t pre-arranged a physical encounter through one of the many dating apps, you’ll be waiting a long time to kickstart your dating life.

Skip the Pre-Date Chatter

Some people like to talk for weeks before plucking up the courage to ask someone out on a date. However, Londoners prefer to get straight down to business by arranging to meet swiftly, which makes sense when you consider the fast-paced lifestyle. If you spend too much time being a digital pen pal, the person you’re speaking to will move on to the next.

Be Careful When Choosing a Dining Spot

It’s all too easy to search on Google for “Most romantic restaurants in London”, but it’ll lead you to a saturated restaurant and show you put zero effort into the date. Instead of flocking to Clos Maggiore, which is the top-listed “most romantic restaurant”, find a quirky street food stall and grab a cocktail in a plastic cup.

Update Your Online Dating Pictures

Catfishing is a term used to describe people pretending to be someone else online while dating or forming friendships. Although you may not intend to be a catfish, this is exactly what you’ll be if your online dating profile photos haven’t been updated recently. Although you are you and aren’t pretending to be someone else, your date will expect to see the image they’ve been talking to online.

Get Used to “Ghosting”

If you head over to Urban Dictionary - the bible of slang terminology - and search for “Ghosting”, you’ll find the following definition:

“Suddenly ceasing all communication with someone the subject is dating, but no longer wishes to date…”.

The idea behind ghosting is that the person being ghosted will “get the hint” and move on. Although being ghosted isn’t a pleasant feeling, just accept it’s likely to happen and move on to your next option.

Finding love in London can be challenging because people are busy, meaning it won’t happen overnight. If you follow the tips above and keep chipping away, you’ll eventually find the one you’ve been looking for.