Greater London
London Dating: Meet Singles in London
London has more Encounters members than anywhere else in the UK. Pick your section, make a profile and see who is near you tonight.
London singles, from Croydon to Barnet
Dating in London is never dull, and it is rarely short of people: Greater London is home to more of our members than any other part of the country, about one in seven of everyone on Encounters.uk. They come from all over the capital. Members list towns and neighbourhoods such as Croydon, Bromley, Barnet, Highbury, Mitcham, Leyton, Dagenham, Cricklewood, Raynes Park and Richmond, as well as central London itself.
The London crowd is young but not only young. About four in ten are under 35, three in ten are 35 to 44, and close to three in ten are 45 or over, so whether you are dating in London in your 30s or starting again in your 50s, you will find people at the same stage. Around two in five London members are women.
Ages of our members in Greater London, all four sections together, today.
First dates that suit the city
The trick with a first date in London is to pick somewhere halfway and easy to leave. A walk through Hyde Park or along the South Bank between Westminster and Tower Bridge keeps you moving and gives you plenty to talk about. Borough Market and the streets around Covent Garden are busy enough to feel relaxed, with places to stop for a coffee or a drink whenever the conversation is flowing.
If you would rather sit down, Soho and Shoreditch have bars on every corner, and a quieter pub in Hampstead, Greenwich or Richmond makes a good choice if you both live further out. For something different, try one of the national museums: the Tate Modern, the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum all make easy first-date openers, and you can leave whenever you like.
Getting about
London dating runs on the Tube. Agree a station you can both reach without changing twice, check the last train home before you go, and remember that the Night Tube only runs on some lines at weekends. If you are meeting someone from the other side of the river, the Elizabeth line has made east to west much quicker.
Find your kind of date in London
Most of our London members are in Casual Encounters, the section for adults who want fun without the strings. If you want something long-term, Single Encounters is for London singles looking for a relationship, and Mature Encounters is for Londoners over 40. Each section has its own sign-up, so you can join the one that fits.
Not in central London? We have members in Surrey, Hertfordshire, Essex and Kent too, so if you live on the edge of the city, set your distance wide. Our singles near me page explains how distance works.
Dating in Westminster or St Albans? This page covers you too: Westminster is right in the middle of everything above, and St Albans is a short train ride from King’s Cross St Pancras, with Hertfordshire members of its own.
Dating in London: your questions
Which parts of London do members come from?
From all over the capital and its edges: Barnet in the north, Croydon and Bromley in the south, Dagenham and Woodford Green in the east, Richmond and Sunbury in the west, and inner neighbourhoods such as Spitalfields and Highbury in between.
How old are London members?
Three in four are between 25 and 54. About four in ten are under 35 and nearly three in ten are 45 or over.
Where is a good place for a first date in London?
Somewhere public, central and easy to leave: a walk on the South Bank, a drink in Covent Garden or an hour in a gallery such as the Tate Modern. Meet halfway, and check the last train home.
Dating near London
Meet someone in London this week
Choose your section and say hello.