Fun Date Nights Around Anaheim

0

fun date night around anaheim

Date night. The Holy Grail for most parents. We all need time together to reconnect. Get out there and have some fun!

When we first moved here I had no idea what fun there was to be had in the local area so I would ask my friends what they liked to do and I made an EXTENSIVE list, which we are still working our way through!

These awesome date night ideas have all come from real mamas who live in and around Anaheim. I figured as a US transplant I might not have the necessary experience to write my own post about date nights, so here are what some of my local friends love to do instead! If you live in Anaheim, or are visiting our awesome city, here are some fun ways to spend a date night.

Orange Coast Winery

“This little winery is tucked away in Newport, but it’s a gem. They do 6 glass tastings, complete with delicious cheese platters and other tasty snacks. It is our favourite place to go when we just want to be together and chat. They have most of their wine bought in from the Weins Winery in Temecula or Lodi who they work closely with. They also have a monthly wine club which gives discounts and invites o special events. Try the Orange Bubbly – it’s one of their signature wines and it’s SO GOOD!”

Old Towne Orange

“No matter what you pick to do in Old Town, you are sure to have a great time. My hubby and I love to go down to the orange circle have an appetizer of cheese tasting at Provisions then have dinner usually at Smoqued and then walk around and have ice cream afterwards at A LA Minute. There are so many other great restaurants there. It’s also super fun to get there early and browse the antique shops in the area. Such an eclectic mix of things to see.”

Reunion

“I love Reunion. The drinks are great, the food is even better and it always has such a fun atmosphere. We love going on Sundays for their brunch with bottomless mimosas! I think it’s the busiest place in Anaheim Hills for a reason – it has everything you need to make a great date night.”

The Post/Rockwells

The Post. The Post has live music,  great food, and atmosphere. They specialize in yummy pub food and craft beers which is totally our thing. Get there between 4-7pm M-F for happy hour!”

The Ranch

“Sometimes we go all-out, like a recent double date to The Ranch in Anaheim. This is a great place to go with friends, or as a couple, even if your partner doesn’t dance. They have free lessons, along with friendly regulars who are happy to show you the steps. My husband will not dance, but I’ve had a great time each time we’ve been here and he is happy to watch me strut as he enjoys the extensive whiskey list. When I’m done on the dance floor, we enjoy their delicious menu together as the live band plays. It’s definitely pricey, but for a special occasion it’s a nice treat.”

Movie Nights

“If we are going to hit a new movie, we sometimes go to Century Stadium on Katella, and start/finish the night off with dinner at either The Lazy Dog or Prime Cut Cafe – both have reasonably priced food and a nice vibe. If we have extra time, we will sometimes go to Evans Gunsmithing on Main (2 mins away), and do some fun target practice. Admittedly, this is more his thing than mine, but I figure it’s a good balance to whichever movie I got to pick!”

“Another great movie theater is the Regal on Chapman in Garden Grove. They have gorgeous sofa-style lounger seats that recline, and you can order booze & grub right from the seat. It makes the good old date-night cliché of “let’s go see a movie” a bit more special.”

“We love to do dinner at The Melting Pot (because who doesn’t love Fondue right?!) and movies at Cinépolis. Cinepolis is a true luxury movie theater where you can get drinks and food brought ot you by waiters while you recline in oversized leather seats. It’s amazing!

A Romantic Hike

If funds are low, or we’ve had to pay for a babysitter, then one of the nicest things we’ve done is simply to take the dog for a walk in Santiago Oaks Regional Park. Once, I made dinner at home and we packed it up as a picnic, then went for a hike. Depending on the time of year, you can get to watch the sunset. It’s a really beautiful place to simply be, together. There are flat loops if we’re feeling tired, or on a day when we need to stomp out some issues we can go right up to the peaks. If date night is about reconnecting and remembering why you feel in love, for us, this is the date night that does the trick.

Trader Sams

“We like to go to Trader Sam’s in the Disneyland Hotel for drinks and dinner and the live music is great on the weekends makes you feel like you’re in Hawaii!”
 
“Trader Sam’s is so fun! But be ready to wait in long lines for a table, unless you sit outside. Wish they’d get pagers for tables already!”

Disneyland

It wouldn’t be an Anaheim date night guide without including Disneyland. Many local families are lucky enough to have Disneyland passes. We love to go alone and ride the ‘grown up’ rides, have dinner in one of the hotels or enjoy appetizers and drinks at Cove Bar in California Adventure. It’s also a really fun place to go with other couples. One of our most fun dates with friends was when we went to ride Tower of Terror before it closed. My first (and thankfully last) time on the ride, but somehow being in a super long line isn’t so bad when you are laughing and chatting with friends!

Anaheim Packing House

We love going to the Packing House in Anaheim. We either do dinner at Umami Burger, or pick one of the awesome places in the Packing House and then grab crepes from Crepe Coop, fresh gelato or a pop from PopBar. Then we love going for drinks in one of the great cocktail bars. If we are organized enough we will make reservations at The Blind Rabbit which is a speakeasy style restaurant hidden away behind a bookcase! They do the best cocktails EVER!

Bowling at the Block

We like to hit The Block and go bowling at Lucky Strike Lanes. There are plenty of dinner options at The Block (which happens to also have some of the best outlet stores in our area!) so we will shop, grab dinner and then go bowling together. I might be terrible, but it’s still a fun way to spend an evening and we always end up in fits of giggles by the end of the night!

The Beach

Everyone has a favorite beach. We love to go to Laguna, walk through the surf and enjoy the feeling of the sand in our toes, then head to Slapfish for a low key dinner. We often grab macarons from the place nearby and then go back to the beach and sit and watch the waves. If we are feeling fancy we go to Surf and Sand or The Deck for sundowners. So romantic. 

What do you like doing for a date night? We would love some more ideas to add to our list!

fun date nights around anaheim

Previous articleA Chaee Filled Life: My Crash Course Into Iranian Culture
Next articleHelpful Information For New And Expectant Moms
Viv Jones
I am Viv, stay at home mom (mummy) to Edison who is 7 and Arlo who is 5. I am married to my best friend and university sweetheart Steve. In October 2014 we moved 5321 miles from our beautiful Victorian home in Sheffield, England to Anaheim Hills and are loving the wild adventure this move has turned our life into. I am so very grateful that this move has given me the opportunity to quit my kinder teacher role to stay home with my crazy whirlwinds and enjoy the adventures of modern motherhood. I love farmers markets with my little foodies, antique shops, restoring antique finds, reading, baking, eating out and trying not to spend everything we have in Target! Oh and chips. I LOVE chips (crisps for any Brits reading this). All the chips.