39 Clever Date Ideas in Cleveland
Maybe you’ve just met and you are looking for some date ideas in Cleveland that will impress your new flame. Or perhaps, you and your special someone are getting tired of the same old pizza place around the corner and want to branch out a bit. Cleveland, Ohio offers many fun and interesting things to do on a date, and you are sure to find something in this list that is just right.
Do you like strolling through a park and then going for ice cream? How about an evening watching professional sports in an arena with a top-notch concession area?
Cleveland offers a wonderful assortment of markets, gaming cafés, fascinating museums and a bowling alley with the best fried chicken in town. The only difficulty is choosing from all the date night ideas in Cleveland.
Jump to Section
- Foodie Date Ideas in Cleveland
- Relaxing Date Ideas in Cleveland
- Free Date Ideas in Cleveland
- Outdoorsy Date Ideas in Cleveland
- Adventurous Date Ideas in Cleveland
- Artistic Date Ideas in Cleveland
- Sporty Date Ideas in Cleveland
- Quirky Date Ideas in Cleveland
Foodie Date Ideas in Cleveland
1. Cooking Classes
If you love spending time in the kitchen together, check out cooking classes near you for a fun date night. Try out new techniques or learn to make a cuisine you’ve never tried. Cooking classes in Cleveland are led by masterful local chefs who will walk you through a great meal you can recreate again and again at home.
2. Food Tours
Cleveland has many neighborhoods with distinct characters, such as Little Italy, Asia Town and Ohio City. Food tours visit local eateries and bars so you can sample what the city has to offer. One great Cleveland food place to check out is the West Side Market. Cleveland’s oldest public market offers a fun afternoon of wandering among the stalls of fresh produce, meat, spices and baked treats. Grab some crêpes and head upstairs to the balcony for a panoramic view of the action.
3. Wineries, Breweries and Distilleries
The Lake Erie shoreline is dotted with wineries that offer tours and tastings, and Cleveland itself has many artisan breweries and distilleries. If you are a fan of local spirits, a tasting is a great date idea in Cleveland.
4. Heat It Up at Fahrenheit
If you are absolutely set on a dinner date, try Fahrenheit, an American-Asian fusion restaurant in the Tremont neighborhood. Try a plate of Rocco’s black truffle meatballs or an order of Thai chili calamari to start; then move on Kobe beef short ribs or sweet and sour salmon with wasabi mash and pickled cucumber.
5. Have a Little Bite at Salt+
For something on the unusual side, Salt+ (the plus sign is silent) serves curated small servings grouped by category of vegetables, fish and meat, plus a truly original collection of cocktails such as the Rude Barb with elderflower liqueur and rhubarb cordial.
6. Eat in the Kitchen at Dante
Dante Restaurant in Tremont is Cleveland’s only restaurant with a Michelin-starred chef, making a visit here one of the must-try things to do in Cleveland for foodies. You can order à la carte or choose a tasting menu that is served as it is prepared in the kitchen. This is the ultimate foodie date idea in Cleveland.
Relaxing Date Ideas in Cleveland
7. Try an Online Class
If a stay-home date idea appeals, you and your date can check out some live online cooking classes together. You can shop together for the ingredients from the list provided and learn how to make great meals with instruction from a world-class chef. If happy hour is more your speed, there are many more options to choose from, including online mixology classes and virtual wine tastings, each led by renowned industry experts.
8. Lakewood Solstice Steps
The town of Lakewood, Ohio took a sliver of the Lake Erie shoreline and turned it into an oasis of calm by adding a cascade of masonry stairs. The steps are a perfect place to watch one of Cleveland’s amazing sunsets, and they are oriented so that they point directly toward the setting sun on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.
9. Wade Oval
Wade Oval in University Circle is one of the best picnic date ideas in Cleveland. Pack a basket and head to this seven-acre park in the heart of Downtown Cleveland.
10. Cleveland Botanical Gardens
Another green space to check out for relaxing summer date ideas in Cleveland is the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. Also located in University Circle, the beautiful gardens and glasshouse are a great place to stroll and talk.
11. Go for a Couples Massage
Massage is a great way to relax and Bodhi Tree Massage and Skincare offers massages for couples. You can choose from deep tissue, Swedish or hot stones.
Playful Date Ideas in Cleveland
12. Side Quest
A great nerdy gamer bar is Side Quest, located in Lakewood. Offering tabletop and video games, this is the perfect D&D double date idea in Cleveland.
13. Tabletop Café
If you and your date are board game fans, the Tabletop Café, also in Lakewood, is a perfect date idea in Cleveland. Choose from the thousands of games available and spend the evening challenging each other while sharing a very tasty pizza.
14. Check Out an Arcade Bar
While a date at a bar is kind of run-of-the-mill, The B-Side in the Coventry neighborhood of Cleveland Heights offers old-school arcade games to bump up the fun.
15. Superelectric Pinball Parlor
If pinball is more your style, check out the Superelectric Pinball Parlor. They are constantly switching out machines, so you never know what you will be able to play, which makes for an exciting date idea in Cleveland.
16. Get Hep Swing
If you and your partner like to move, swing dance lessons with Get Hep Swing dance company is one of the livelier date ideas in Cleveland. The company offers five-week courses and holds dances on the second Friday and last Saturday of every month.
17. Mahall’s Bowling Alley and Venue
This is the Midwest, so bowling is one of the favorite date ideas in Cleveland. Mahall’s 20, however, is not your average bowling alley. In addition to the lanes, this is a music venue and Mahall’s is also reputed to have the best fried chicken in town.
18. Sweetie’s Golfland
If miniature golf is more your style, Sweetie’s Golfland has two 18-hole miniature golf courses. The best thing about this Cleveland institution is that it is attached to Sweetie’s Candy Store and Soda Shoppe, which is a great way to top off your trip to the “links.”
Free Date Ideas in Cleveland
19. Edgewater Park
Edgewater Park is part of the Cleveland Metroparks system. You can walk, picnic and even swim with your dog here. This is a toss-up between relaxing and free date ideas in Cleveland. A quick stroll also makes a wonderful weeknight date idea.
20. Rockefeller Park Greenhouse
Rockefeller Park Gardens and Greenhouse are free and open to the public. This is a lovely area for a walk and also home to the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. There are 33 different gardens designed and maintained by different cultural groups around the city.
21. Hang Out in a Cemetery
Cleveland’s Lake View Cemetery is a beautiful place for a walk or a picnic. There are even tours of the area that cover geology, architecture, nature and history for a unique educational date idea in Cleveland. The James A. Garfield Monument is also located in Lake View.
Outdoorsy Date Ideas in Cleveland
22. Cleveland Metroparks
If you and your sweetie are looking for date ideas in Cleveland that get you out into the fresh air, taking advantage of the Cleveland Metroparks is a fun thing for couples to do. This massive park system has sites all around the county and you can find hiking and biking trails, and kayak rentals in numerous places. There is even a zoo if you want to check "Z" off your list of alphabet dating ideas!
23. Nature Center at Shaker Lakes
The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes offers two hiking trails through the preserved wilderness on Cleveland’s East Side. One of the highlights of Shaker Lakes is the All People’s Trail, which is ADA accessible.
24. Holden Arboretum
The Holden Arboretum in the Holden Forests and Gardens is a vast forested area spanning Lake and Geauga counties. There is a charge to get in but access to the many gardens, trails, meadows and lakes is worth it. Especially in autumn, the Holden Arboretum is one of the more spectacular date ideas in Cleveland.
Adventurous Date Ideas in Cleveland
25. Shaker Rocks
If hiking and strolling are not quite enough for you and your date, give rock climbing a try. An evening at Shaker Rocks is an exciting date night idea in Cleveland and a great way to get your heart pumping.
26. Perplexity Games Escape Room
Try a mysterious date idea in Cleveland at Perplexity Games Escape Room. Choose from an assortment of escape scenarios and puzzles for an evening of fun.
27. Keep Talking
It takes guts to get up in front of an audience and tell a story. On the first Wednesday of every month, the Happy Dog hosts Keep Talking, an evening where people are welcome to get up and tell a story on a theme, while everyone else enjoys great hot dogs.
Artistic Date Ideas in Cleveland
28. University Circle Walking Tour
Take a self-guided tour of Cleveland’s intellectual hub. University Circle is home to Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of the Arts, as well as many museums, parks and restaurants. Start with a walking tour and come back for more.
29. Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Wander among the dinosaurs at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. There are numerous exhibits on the animals, plants and topography of the Cleveland area. If you and your date love science, this is a great date idea in Cleveland.
30. Cleveland Cinemathique
The Cinemathique is a theater inside the Cleveland Institute of Art. It is a repertory theater showing independent art films most weekends. If your tastes run to the unusual, this is one of the most out-of-the-ordinary date ideas in Cleveland.
31. Cleveland Museum of Art
Explore an incredible array of exhibits, classes, performing arts events, fine dining and artisan crafts and jewelry at the prestigious Cleveland Museum of Art. If you're looking for a free date idea in Cleveland, this is an excellent option as there is no cost for admission.
Sporty Date Ideas in Cleveland
32. Football
The Cleveland Browns play at FirstEnergy Field along the shore of Lake Erie. A professional football game can be a thrilling date idea in Cleveland if you are both fans.
33. Baseball
The Cleveland Indians — soon to become the Guardians — Major League Baseball team plays in Downtown Cleveland at Progressive Field. The dining options at the field are impressive: The Corner Bar has 40 beers on tap, an open-air fire pit on the roof deck and the concession area is organized according to the flavors of Cleveland’s different neighborhoods. This is a really fun date idea in Cleveland.
34. Basketball
The Cavaliers play at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse located in the Gateway District in Downtown Cleveland. The Gateway District is close to Progressive Field and the 5th Street Arcades, an architectural landmark in Downtown Cleveland housing many shops and eateries.
Quirky Date Ideas in Cleveland
35. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Spend a day strolling through the history of rock and roll. The Rock, as it is often called, displays memorabilia from musicians who are members of the hall of fame. Many of the exhibits are temporary, so you will always find something new with this iconic date idea in Cleveland.
36. Dittrick Medical History Center
If you and your date are interested in medical history and artifacts, you will be interested in the Dittrick Medical History Center at Case Western Reserve University. Located in the Allen Memorial Medical Library, the collection includes antique medical equipment, biomedical art and even a collection of letters by Charles Darwin. This is one of the geekier date ideas in Cleveland.
37. A Christmas Story House
The house used in the filming of the classic Christmas movie, A Christmas Story, is open for tours. This quirky date night idea in Cleveland includes tours of the house, a museum and a gift shop where you can buy a Major Award Leg Lamp for your date.
38. Buckland Museum of Witchcraft & Magick
One of the spookier date ideas in Cleveland is a visit to the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft & Magick. This is the collection of Raymond Buckland who is credited with bringing modern witchcraft to the United States.
39. Mitchell’s Ice Cream
No Cleveland date night is complete without a visit to Mitchell’s Ice Cream. With numerous locations throughout the city, Mitchell’s is Cleveland’s premier frozen treat and the perfect ending to any evening in town.
Join 200,000+ Culinary Enthusiasts
Whether you prefer dinner at a famed restaurant or a visit to see Janis Joplin’s Porsche, Cleveland has plenty to offer a couple who is ready to get off the couch and out the door. Which date idea will you tackle together first?
For even more insight into the best Cleveland has to offer, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Join the conversation.