Best of Philly Spotlight: 10 Great Date Night Ideas From This Year’s List

Plan a unique date night at Midnight Pasta Party / Photograph by Jeff Fusco

Why settle for predictable when Philly is full of unique, memorable experiences? From a boot-scootin’ class to a booklover’s getaway, this year’s Best of Philly list is packed with spots that are definitely not boring. Whether you’re planning a first date, a night away from the kids, or just trying to shake up your usual routine, we combed through this year’s winners to pull out the most fun, romantic, or just plain cool ideas for your next night out.

BEST COOKING CLASS
Midnight Pasta Party

There comes a point in the night, between sips of wine and crooning along to Sinatra, when the pressure to master your pasta-making technique fades and you begin to fully embrace imperfection. Sure, your pappardelle may be misshapen, but that doesn’t matter when owner Natalia Lepore Hagan dramatic­ally unveils a long table (with a red-and-white checkered tablecloth) and invites the class to sit for a candlelit Italian meal of focaccia, seasonal salad, and, of course, midnight pasta. 5401 Tacony Street, BLDG 39 at the Arsenal.

BEST NEW WINE BAR
Supérette

The best bars transport you somewhere else. Supérette is one of them. Slide into a seat at the bar or a table, order a glass of wine from a list handpicked by sommelier Kaitlyn Caruke, and add bites from the Euro-leaning menu — and definitely don’t skip the soft serve. After a while, South Philly will start to feel like the South of France. 1538 East Passyunk Avenue.

BEST COMEDY CLUB
Next in Line

In 2022, Next in Line was a roving concept of a comedy night — a stand-up pop-up, if you will. More recently, they found their own home with drinks from Love City Brewing and food from whatever food truck shows up. It’s weekends only, there’s no annoying drink minimum like at some other clubs, and the talent includes the best local comedians as well as nationally touring acts. 1025 Hamilton Street.

BEST BAR GAME
Flight Club

You’ve probably played darts before, but you’ve probably never played them like this. The bar, which opened in May, features a newfangled technology called Social Darts. Yes, there’s automated scoring (there’s nothing worse than trying to keep score after a few IPAs), but there are also interactive dart experiences that put a new spin on a very, very old game. 1417 Walnut Street.

BEST CLASS FOR COWGIRLS AND COWBOYS
Giddy Up Philly

Learn to two-step and boot-scoot and master all forms of country line dancing at DJ Hugo Max’s parties. You can do so on August 21st at Bok Bar, August 24th at Morgan’s Pier, or any Friday night at Voyeur.

The Bookhouse Hotel at Faunbrook / Photograph by Alexa Johnson

BEST HOTEL THEME
The Bookhouse Hotel at Faunbrook

Step inside the Bookhouse Hotel at Faunbrook and you’ll immediately see why it gets a nod for Best Theme. Each room has walls (literally) of books (5,000 of them are in the hotel), and various corners inside and out beckon you to curl up with your next great page-turner. Check in for a reading retreat and you might never leave. 699 West Rosedale Avenue, West Chester.

BEST DANCE PARTY FOR THOSE OF A CERTAIN AGE
Matinee Dance Party

Let’s be honest: A lot of us love to dance but aren’t exactly looking to rub elbows with the crowd at 1 a.m., by which point we are hopefully in REM sleep. Enter Matinee, the creation of DJ Eddie Tully, who had the brilliant idea to do a fun dance party … starting at 6 p.m. Tully has been spending the summer down the Shore and is bringing Matinee to Memories in Margate on August 17th and September 6th, before bringing it back to the city, location TBD.

BEST MAKER HAVEN
Iffy Books

Solder your own guitar cable. Build a solar-powered synth. Make weird little circuits that do strange little things. Iffy Books isn’t just a bookstore — it’s a portal to odd, brilliant skills you didn’t know you needed. Their DIY workshops are part science fair, part zine fest, part beautiful chaos. Show up curious; leave with a new obsession. 404 South 20th Street.

BEST NEW WELLNESS SERIES
Pilates & Plunge At W Philadelphia

What was supposed to be a five-week series last fall quickly became so popular that it’s now an ongoing experience at one of Philly’s chicest hotels. You’ll move through a low-impact, muscle-engaging mat Pilates sesh led by Coach Zha before taking a dip in the W’s outdoor pool. You’ll never want to go back to “regular” workouts again. 1439 Chestnut Street, 7th Floor.

BEST PLACE TO RELAX
Chestnut Hill Skyspace

An installation by artist James Turrell in the local Quaker meetinghouse gives you a new way to appreciate both sunrise and sunset. In a plain white room with 36-foot vaulted ceilings, an opening allows light in, accompanied by LED projections in shades of white, red, blue, and green. Tickets to attend a 50-minute viewing — sunsets on Sundays and first Fridays — are 11 bucks. 20 East Mermaid Lane.

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Published in the August 2025 issue of Philadelphia magazine.