Gone are the days of staring into each others eyes from across the table over a glass of wine. These days, date nights are all about finding out who is better in pretty much every way. Activity bars are popping up everywhere right now and you can now pit yourself against your significant other to find out who is "the king/queen" of a whole assortment of random skills over a cocktail or six. If you're bored of dinner and conversation and want to switch up your date night with a bit of light hearted shoving it in each others face and adding that much needed "you're not singing anymore" vibe, here is a round up of Birmingham's best competitive date nights...
Ghetto golf
What's a better way to spend a Saturday night than cocktails, burgers and golfing around a dildo. Ghetto golf in the Custard Factory is crazy golf for grown ups. 18 holes including golfing through a bus, into a toilet and through a sex shop the course is really imaginative and there is always something to look at. The whole place is covered in florescent graffiti and they have a DJ playing all of your favourite R&B classics. They've got a really good cocktail menu and they have staff walking around taking orders while you play. Keep your scores going round, winner gets bragging rights of being the official Tiger Woods of the couple and loser gets the loaded fries in, which are exceptional by the way.
Flight club
Step up to the oche... Hands up if you thought darts was a dads activity for social club drinkers in between pies and pints of bank's mild. It's been given an image makeover by flight club, you'll find a trendy bar with carnival lights, vintage fairground themed decor and a carousel horse. While you're playing they record snapshots from your game and send them to you as a story so you have a momento of your glorious victory/crushing defeat. After your best Phil 'the power' Taylor effort they do amazing pizzas and some of the best cocktails in town to toast the winner.
Roxy Ballroom
I'm not really a fan of the dingy bowling alley but Roxy Ballroom in Digbeth have given it a bit of a reinvention with UV graffiti, craft beers and a rock and indie playlist. If it involves a ball you can play it there, they've got bowling, pool, table tennis, basketball and even beer pong. They've got decent food and a good range of cocktails to make a night of it and a photobooth to capture your winning smile.
The Floodgate
Baseball cages, curling lanes and table top mini golf, the floodgate in Digbeth is ideal for the couple that likes a bit of friendly competition. Good tunes, relaxed atmosphere and loads of fun. The decor is typical of Digbeth with neon lights, UV graffiti of some well known film and TV characters and even slinky's coming from the ceiling. There's craft beers and a good cocktail menu to celebrate hitting a home run, as well as some of the best street food in Birmingham.
NQ64
So I'm not much of a gamer these days but can definitely own anyone when it comes to the classics. NQ64 is like going back to your childhood with all the old school arcade favourites from back in the day as well as mario kart and crash bandicoot. They have an arcade themed cocktail menu, craft beers and monster munch. The whole place has got a cool retro vibe with 90s R&B music and 80s and 90s video game memorabilia on the walls.
The big Birmingham bake
If you've ever found yourself weirdly invested in the outright drama of whether the contestants can bake a cake on the Great British bake off, you can now have a go yourselves at the big Birmingham bake. It's a marquee with kitchen areas set up and everything you need to create your masterpiece/complete fail. There's a winner for the best cake in the session so you can either use seamless teamwork to see off your cake baking rivals or blame each other for the rest of your lives when someone drops it on the floor. There's an on site bar because what's baking without wine really? You get to take your creation and hopefully the cake knife of victory home with you.
What better way to spend quality time with the other half than proving you're the best and never letting them forget it?
Happy date night people x
