Rainy Day Dates in London: Covered Markets, Arcades, Bowling and Sofa Cinemas

Why a wet day can make a better date

Rain removes the default plan of a walk and a drink, which is no bad thing. An indoor activity gives two people something to share and talk about, and it takes some pressure off the conversation. Games, machines and films also give a natural end point, so neither of you has to engineer an exit.

The places below were chosen because each is mostly under cover and has something to do besides sitting across a table. Details come from each venue's own site as read on 14 October 2026, with history taken from Wikipedia where the venue does not state it. Prices and hours change, so check on the day. Venues covered in other Kindrd London guides, such as the Barbican Conservatory, board game cafés and the free museums, are linked at the end rather than repeated here.

Covered markets to wander

Leadenhall Market in the City is the easiest choice for a rainy wander. Its own site says the public areas are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that a market has stood on the site since the 14th century, on the site of a forum at the centre of Roman London. The site describes the market as partly covered and partly outdoor, so expect some exposure between arcades. Wikipedia says the current structure was designed in 1881 by Sir Horace Jones, who also designed Billingsgate and Smithfield markets, that it is Grade II* listed, and that it appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The market lists shops, a cheesemonger, cafés, wine bars, restaurants and a pub, but it notes that each business keeps its own hours, so check before you go, especially at weekends, when it lists separate weekend markets.

Old Spitalfields Market, at 16 Horner Square, E1 6EW, publishes its hours: 10am to 8pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 8am to 6pm on Thursday, 10am to 6pm on Saturday and 10am to 5pm on Sunday. It lists 62 shops and stalls and 46 food and drink businesses, an Urban Makers market on Wednesdays, an antiques market on Thursdays and a vinyl market. Its homepage does not say which parts are covered. A low-cost plan is to set a small budget, each choose a gift for the other, and then compare over food.

• Leadenhall Marketcovered market

  Gracechurch Street, City of London, EC3V 1LT

  Public areas open 24/7 according to the market; individual shop, bar and restaurant hours vary. Wikipedia credits the 1881 design to Sir Horace Jones.

• Old Spitalfields Marketmarket

  16 Horner Square, Spitalfields, E1 6EW

  Mon, Tue, Wed and Fri 10am–8pm; Thu 8am–6pm; Sat 10am–6pm; Sun 10am–5pm. Lists 62 shops and stalls and 46 food and drink businesses.

An arcade with a sense of humour: Novelty Automation

Novelty Automation, at 1a Princeton Street, WC1R 4AX, is a small arcade about five minutes' walk from Holborn station, according to its own site. It is closed on Mondays and otherwise opens 11am to 6pm, with Sundays from 12pm to 6pm and a later Thursday from 12pm to 8pm. It also lists First Thursday bar evenings; the one shown when we read the site was 1 October, from 5pm to 9pm, so look for the next date.

Wikipedia describes it as a satirical amusement arcade opened in February 2015 by the cartoonist and engineer Tim Hunkin, who often builds the machines by hand, and lists machines including an expressive photo booth, an interactive divorce game and a small hadron collider. This is the kind of place where the machines do the talking for you. The homepage links to a separate page on prices, directions and disabled access, which we could not load, so check the token prices and access details with the arcade before you go.

• Novelty Automationarcade

  1a Princeton Street, Holborn, WC1R 4AX

  Closed Mondays; 11am–6pm most days, Sunday 12pm–6pm, Thursday 12pm–8pm. Opened by Tim Hunkin in February 2015, per Wikipedia.

Bowling, karaoke and ping pong

Bloomsbury Lanes is on Bedford Way, WC1H 9EU. Its homepage lists bowling, karaoke, a diner and darts, but not opening hours. Its bowling page prices a lane by the hour, for up to six players: £45 on Sunday to Tuesday between 12pm and 5pm, £55 on Sunday to Tuesday from 5pm, and £65 at any time from Wednesday to Saturday. For two people, an early-week afternoon is the cheapest slot it lists. Bowling suits a first date because there is a turn-taking rhythm, plenty of downtime to chat, and the scores give you something to tease each other about.

Bounce lists one London site, at Battersea Power Station: Level 1, Turbine Hall B, 342 Circus Road South, SW11 8DD. Its homepage offers ping pong tables, group packages and a bottomless brunch, but does not give opening hours or table prices, so use its booking page or phone 020 3657 6525 to check. Ping pong works for a date even if neither of you can play, because a missed shot is a laugh rather than an embarrassment. Battersea Power Station itself is a large indoor shopping and food building, which helps if you want to stay out of the rain afterwards.

• Bloomsbury Lanesbowling alley

  Bedford Way, Bloomsbury, WC1H 9EU

  Bowling from £45 per lane per hour (Sun–Tue 12pm–5pm) to £65 (Wed–Sat), up to six players per lane; karaoke, diner and darts also listed.

• Bounce Batterseaping pong bar

  Level 1, Turbine Hall B, Battersea Power Station, SW11 8DD

  Ping pong tables, group packages and brunch; the homepage does not list hours or prices, so book or phone ahead.

Under the sea at County Hall: SEA LIFE London

SEA LIFE London is in the County Hall building near the London Eye, about five minutes' walk from Waterloo station, according to its site. On the day we checked it showed hours of 10am to 5pm with last entry at 4pm; check its opening hours page for your date. Standard tickets start at £28 per adult and anytime entry from £33, and a combined ticket with the London Eye starts at £49. The site says booking online guarantees entry, usually costs less and can be rescheduled for free.

The zones it lists include a gentoo penguin colony, a jellyfish area it calls the UK's largest, a coral reef it calls the UK's largest living one, and a tunnel where turtles and rays swim overhead. It also lists an adult SEA LIFE Lates programme, though without dates, and a Halloween event running from 17 October to 1 November 2026, which may mean a busier, family-heavy building. Wikipedia says the aquarium opened on 28 March 1997 and that Merlin Entertainments bought it in 2008. Dim tanks and slow walking make conversation easy, and the South Bank is right outside if the rain stops.

• SEA LIFE London Aquariumaquarium

  County Hall, South Bank, SE1

  Standard tickets from £28 per adult, anytime entry from £33; book online to guarantee entry. Opened in 1997, per Wikipedia.

Cinemas that feel like an occasion

The Electric on Portobello Road calls itself the original Electric and lists leather armchairs, two-person sofas and front-row beds. Wikipedia says it opened in February 1910, is one of the oldest working film theatres in Britain and is Grade II* listed. Its site lists the Speedboat Bar next door, open from 12pm daily, with 20% off for same-day Electric Portobello ticket holders from Monday to Thursday. Its sister cinema, Electric White City, is a three-screen cinema in Television Centre with laser projection and Dolby Atmos; ticket holders get 30% off at the White City House Studio Kitchen on the same day. The site does not list seating types for White City, so if a sofa is the point, choose Portobello and book the sofa.

The Prince Charles Cinema, at 7 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BY, is a repertory cinema that shows older and cult films alongside newer ones. Its 2026 price list gives single performances at £11.50 or £14.50, weekday matinees at £8 or £11, Sing-A-Long-A shows at £16 or £18.50, and double or triple features at £20 or £26, plus a 75p online booking fee. It also lists 35mm and 70mm screenings, marathons, Q&As and a film quiz. Wikipedia says it opened on 26 December 1962 and has two screens, and it reports a continuing lease dispute, so check the programme on the cinema's own site. A sing-along is an easy pick for a second date with someone who likes a bit of noise; a 70mm screening is better for a quieter one.

• Electric Cinema Portobellocinema

  191 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, W11

  Leather armchairs, two-person sofas and front-row beds; opened in 1910 and Grade II* listed, per Wikipedia.

• The Prince Charles Cinemacinema

  7 Leicester Place, Leicester Square, WC2H 7BY

  Repertory, Sing-A-Long-A, 35mm and 70mm screenings; single tickets £11.50 or £14.50, weekday matinees £8 or £11.

Building a wet-day route

Pairing two nearby stops keeps time outside to a minimum. Novelty Automation and Bloomsbury Lanes are both in WC1, so an arcade visit in the afternoon can run into an evening lane. Leadenhall Market and Old Spitalfields Market are both on the eastern edge of the City, close enough to combine by a short walk or bus if the rain eases. SEA LIFE London and a South Bank wander pair naturally, and the Prince Charles Cinema sits in the West End, where there is no shortage of somewhere to eat afterwards.

For a first meeting, a time-limited activity such as an hour's bowling or an arcade visit gives a clean finish if it is not working, and an easy reason to stay for food if it is. Meet somewhere public, tell a friend where you are going, and make your own way there and back. For more ideas that do not centre on a bar, see the Kindrd first-date guide.

Before you go

• Check hours on each venue's own site on the day. This guide reflects pages read on 14 October 2026, and several venues do not publish full hours on their homepages.
• Book ahead where you can. SEA LIFE London says booking online guarantees entry, and Bloomsbury Lanes and Bounce take lane and table bookings online.
• Check access directly. Novelty Automation links to a separate disabled access page we could not load, and most of the other homepages do not state step-free access.
• Expect a busier aquarium during the half-term Halloween event, which SEA LIFE London lists from 17 October to 1 November 2026.
• Leadenhall Market is only partly covered, so bring an umbrella for the gaps between arcades.

Questions people ask

What can you do on a rainy date in London?

Wander a covered market such as Leadenhall or Old Spitalfields, play the hand-built machines at Novelty Automation in Holborn, bowl at Bloomsbury Lanes, play ping pong at Bounce in Battersea Power Station, visit SEA LIFE London in County Hall, or watch a film from a sofa at the Electric on Portobello Road or at a sing-along at the Prince Charles Cinema.

Which London cinema has sofas or beds?

The Electric on Portobello Road lists leather armchairs, two-person sofas and front-row beds on its site. Its White City cinema in Television Centre has three screens with laser projection and Dolby Atmos, but its site does not list seating types.

How much is bowling at Bloomsbury Lanes?

Its bowling page prices a lane per hour for up to six players: £45 from Sunday to Tuesday between 12pm and 5pm, £55 from Sunday to Tuesday after 5pm, and £65 at any time from Wednesday to Saturday.

How much is SEA LIFE London?

Its site lists standard tickets from £28 per adult, anytime entry from £33 and a combined ticket with the London Eye from £49. It says booking online guarantees entry and usually costs less, and that tickets can be rescheduled for free.

Is Leadenhall Market covered?

Partly. The market's own site describes it as partly outdoor and partly covered, and says its public areas are open 24/7, while each shop, bar and restaurant keeps its own hours.