A good Bloomington date has three parts: something active, something to do together, then a meal. Moving around town keeps the conversation easy, and it gives you a way out if the chemistry is not there. One reader who suggested this guide said her last date went art first, dinner second, and that is a good pattern to copy.
Everything below is a listing in our directory. Hours and seasons change, so check the place’s own page or call before you go.
Start with coffee
For a first meeting at any age, a coffee shop is hard to beat. It is public, it costs a few dollars, and an hour is a natural stopping point. If it goes well, you can add a walk or a second stop.
- Soma Coffeehouse and Juice Bar has several locations and a juice bar, and plenty of seating for a long talk.
- Hopscotch Coffee roasts its own coffee and serves breakfast and lunch if you want food too.
- Crumble Coffee & Bakery Downtown is a bakery and coffee shop downtown, an easy walk from Kirkwood Avenue.
- Revolution Bike & Bean pairs a bike shop with a cafe on E 10th St, which makes a good starting point for a ride.
Ages 20 to 30
Keep it close to campus and downtown, keep the cost low, and stay flexible about the hour.
Something active
- Switchyard Park has trails, a playground and open lawn on the B-Line Trail. Walk or ride it, then pick a place nearby.
- Btown Indoor Golf Corp is a golf simulator lounge and bar, so you can play in any weather.
- Classic Bowling Lanes is open late most nights (check the hours on its page) and works as a first date because bad bowling is funny.
Something to do together
- The Pottery House Studio has a paint-your-own pottery studio and a clay studio with wheel classes. Making something gives you something to talk about, and you each take a piece home.
- The Comedy Attic puts you in a room laughing at the same jokes.
- Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art on the IU campus is a quiet, free way to spend an hour looking at art.
Then a meal
- Upland Brewing Company is a brewery with a full menu.
- BRU Burger Bar Bloomington serves burgers, shakes and a long beer list.
- Bucceto’s Pizza Pasta is a good pizza and pasta stop, with a gluten-free menu.
- Hive is an easy pick when one of you eats vegan.
- My Thai Downtown serves Thai curries and noodles downtown.
Staying out late? See our guide to late-night food near IU.
Ages 40 to 60
Plan for a slower pace, a quieter room and a table where you can hear each other.
Something active
- Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum is an outdoor sculpture park in the woods north of town, good for a long walk and a conversation.
- Hilltop Garden & Nature Center is Indiana University’s garden and nature center, a pleasant daytime stroll.
- Lake Monroe offers shoreline walks and views; go in the afternoon and be back for dinner.
- Oliver Winery has grounds to wander and tastings to share.
Something to do together
- Bloomington Creative Glass Center teaches glassmaking and fusing classes and has a gallery.
- Arthur Murray Dance Studio offers dance lessons for couples, whatever your experience.
- Buskirk-Chumley Theater and Cardinal Stage have shows through the season; check what is on.
- Butler Winery Downtown runs wine tastings in a downtown tasting room.
Then a meal
- The Elm Restaurant is a fine-dining room in Elm Heights with a seasonal menu.
- Lennie’s Brewpub is a brewpub with wood-fired pizza and a roomy dining room.
- Cardinal Spirits is a distillery with cocktails and a food menu.
- Kirkwood Sweet Shop is a good place to end with something sweet.
For more ideas, see our featured local restaurants. If you avoid gluten, our Gluten-Free Options tag lists restaurants whose menus say they have gluten-free choices.
A simple plan for the evening
- Meet for coffee at 3 pm. If you like each other, go on.
- Walk the B-Line or Switchyard Park, or take a pottery or glass class.
- Eat at 6:30 pm somewhere with a table, not a bar stool.
- Say plainly if you want to see them again. Everyone appreciates knowing.
Know a good date spot we missed? Tell us or add your business.
