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Date Night in Raleigh: 16 Romantically Paired Activities in Oak City

Published by Christina Riley. Last Updated on August 9, 2024.

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While raising our little one, one of the most important things we’ve implemented was โ€œDate Night.โ€ And since Raleigh is a spot filled with romantic places to visit, we thought we’d share a few with you here.

To keep things romantic, we even paired these fun things to do for a casual date night in Raleigh like wine and cheese as opposed to sippy cups and Daniel Tiger.

Read More: 31 Amazing Things to Do in Raleigh (Award-Winning Restaurants, Museums, and More!)

Date Night in Raleigh

CAM Raleigh + Whiskey Kitchen

We always try to mix a bit of culture in before moving straight to the booze. That way, you can’t judge us and we can feel a bit more enlightened while sipping.

Cam Raleigh

Address: 409 W Martin St, Raleigh, NC
Website

Contemporary art and innovative experiences await as you and your partner stroll through CAM Raleigh, one of the city’s best museums. Highlighting non-traditional exhibitions by living artists, the works at CAM are relevant to todayโ€™s issues and thought-provoking.

One fun exhibit honored various basketball players from the 1990s, which was exciting for my millennial husband. Since this is a non-collecting museum, every visit is going to bring you something new to experience and discuss over drinks.

Read More: 40+ of the Most Amazing Museums in North Carolina (for ALL Ages!)

Whiskey Kitchen

Address: 201 W Martin St, Raleigh, NC
Website

Cocktail at Whiskey Kitchen Raleigh NC

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And speaking of drinks, we think that a visit to CAM pairs very nicely with some whiskey! Whiskey Kitchen is a modern nod of the head to prohibition. Here, the bartenders shaking and mixing are (dare I say?) some of the best in Raleigh.

Whether you choose to go for a whiskey flight to slowly sip and notice subtle differences or have the best Old Fashioned in your life, Whiskey Kitchen is the place to be.

And don’t forget about the food, either. We chose to get a selection of small plates to share because, to us, that feels more romantic.

Whiskey Kitchen Raleigh NC Food Flat Lay

Pro Tip: Going at our own pace while sharing the Chefโ€™s Board and some Boiled Peanuts is the perfect way to reconnect and enjoy each other. Don’t eat too slowly, though, if you want that last piece of Firsthand Foods sausage!  

Read More: 13 of the Best Airbnbs in Raleigh (Downtown, Residential Areas, and Nearby Towns)

NC Museum of Art + Mandolin

Enjoy farm to table food in a beautiful environment! Mandolin serves up fresh and elevate dishes that are perfect for a date night in Raleigh!

North Carolina Museum of Art

Address: 22110 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh, NC
Website

Raleigh Museum of Art Park

Romantically stroll along the NC Museum of Art‘s outdoor exhibits at the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park or enjoy one of the permanent galleries.

Incredible special events in the winter include January‘s Astronomy Days in January and awesome exhibits have included You Are Here, Ansel Adams, and Georgia Oโ€™Keeffe.

Read More: 14 Wonderful Winter Getaways in North Carolina

Hummingbird + Lynwood Brewing Concern

Visit Raleigh’s Five Points for incredible brunch cocktails and lattes at Hummingbird. After that, skip on over to Lynnwood Brewing Concern for brews and games.

Both are housed in the same building, making them perfect additions to our “date night in Raleigh” list.

Hummingbird

Address: 1053 E Whitaker Mill Rd STE 111, Raleigh, NC
Website

Pull up a barstool at Hummingbird and enjoy the light streaming through the big industrial windows as you fight over one of their incredible sticky buns.

Hummingbird Raleigh NC Oysters

Seriously, the bourbon in the caramel sauce still wakes me up from the Baby Shark lyrics I occasionally mutter to myself when sleeping!

Read More: Breakfast in NC (40+ of the Best Places to Eat!)

Lynnwood Brewing Concern

Address: 1053 E Whitaker Mill Rd, Raleigh, NC
Website

Beer at Lynnwood Brewing Concern Raleigh NC

With over 15 years of quality craft brewing, Lynnwood Brewing opened their second production location on East Whitaker Mill Road.

Sip on delicious, prize-winning beers with questionable names that might make you giggle. For example, there’s the clever โ€œOnce You Go Black IPAโ€ and โ€œKiss My Irish Stout” that got both of us hooked while visiting.

Read More: 15 Hop-Tastic Raleigh Breweries for Your Next Flight, Pint, or Growler

Morgan Street Food Hall + NC Museum of Natural Sciences

You could also mix things up a bit with food at one of Raleigh’s coolest places to sample various dishes before getting interactive at a museum. Or, switch things around and learn first before digging in. Either way, this is a cool combo!

Morgan Street Food Hall

Address: 411 W Morgan St, Raleigh, NC
Website

At Morgan Street Food Hall, you can pick and choose different meals from a variety of vendors. Walk in the door and head straight to the bar for a drink while you browse each food vendor’s menu.

Read More: 50+ Easy Day Trips from Fayetteville (Great Getaways!)

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Address: 11 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC
Website

While the NC Museum of Natural Sciences is most certainly a place to take your kids, weโ€™ve found that it is also a fun place to slowly stroll together and talk. When we take our toddler, itโ€™s often at her lightning-fast pace.

So, getting to stop and read the signage in the exhibits or take part in the interactive experiments never happens. Want to know what the best part of the Museum of Natural Sciences? Itโ€™s free!

Read More: 20+ Amazing Childrenโ€™s Museums in North Carolina for All

Zanyu Noodles + Vinos Finos

Lafayette Village Pretty Mural

Lafayette Village has quite a few great candidates for a date night in Raleigh, so it was very tough for us to narrow down our choices. For this guide, we picked Zanyu Noodles and Vinos Finos.

That way, you can travel to Asia through an authentic noodle shop and sample the best selection of South American wines. Now, isn’t that romantic?

Read More: 15+ Important Tips to Enjoy the NC State Fair

Zanyu Noodles

Address: 8450 Honeycutt Rd #112, Raleigh, NC
Website

Zanyu Noodles Khao Soi
Khao Soi.

Zanyu Noodles might refer to itself as fast-casual food, but we think exploring flavors from Southeast Asia can be a fun date night activity in Raleigh.

Chef Michael Bongiorno packs spice, flavor, and love into his dishes and youโ€™ll come away thinking the same after sampling them. Dig into any of their noodle dishes (especially Khao Soi), but donโ€™t miss out on their amazing Pork Belly Buns with marinated cucumbers.

Read More: 25+ Restaurants in Raleigh (Date Night & Casual Bites)

Vinos Finos

Address: 8450 Honeycutt Rd #110, Raleigh, NC
Website

Vinos Finos Lafayette Village

Vinos Finos will give you the perfect wine fix, with over 350 bottles available by the glass, bottle or case. You can also pick out a bottle for later, in case you try something that you loveโ€”highly likely.

The cafe is South American-inspired, so they also serve charcuterie, Argentine empanadas, and desserts.

We also mentioned these two places in our homage to the foodie paradise that is Lafayette Village.

Videri Chocolate + Crank Arm Brewing

Whatโ€™s says romance more than chocolate, arcade games, and delicious craft beer!?! All within steps of each other in the Warehouse District, you can make the most out of your time with all three places.

Videri Chocolate

Address: 327 W Davie St, Raleigh, NC
Website

We suggest that you start at Videri for a cappuccino from the coffee bar. Then, stroll through the factory, watching as the experts work.

After learning about chocolate, stop by the counter and pick out an assortment of truffles to take home with you to enjoy once the kids are in bed!

Crank Arm Brewing

Address: 319 W Davie St, Raleigh, NC
Website

Crankarm Brewing Draft Glass

Make a right and share a flight of beers at Crank Arm Brewing. The Award-Winning brewery is small but packs a punch.

With options like their most popular Whitewall Wheat or our favorite, the seasonal Holy Spokes habanero porter, youโ€™ll definitely notice a bicycle theme.

Itโ€™s not uncommon to see a fleet of cyclists outside sipping on a Rickshaw Rye IPA after a grueling ride or to meet new friends at one of their Tuesday cRUNk Club or Wednesday Bike Rides.

Crank Arm Brewing and Lynnwood Brewing Concern made our list of favorite North Carolina breweries. What else made the cut?

Boxcar Raleigh Pinball Area

Bonus: We can’t leave out Boxcar Bar + Arcade because it’s right around the corner from these two, and a great way for you and your partner to connect. They have tons of games, but also a full bar that’ll serve up just about any concoction you can name!

Bonus Ideas

Looking for more date night things to do in Raleigh? Check out these fun ideas!

Alamo Drafthouse

Alamo Drafthouse is a dine-in cinema with incredible drinks, food, and comfortable reclining chairs! Definitely order the โ€œRoyale with Cheeseโ€ and a โ€œMayberry RFDโ€ Cheerwine milkshake!

Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours

A Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tour is the BEST way to eat through a new city. It’s also a fun alternative if you want to experience a lot of different restaurants without having to shell out a ton of money!

In fact, we joined a Taste tour in Raleigh and came away full of so much great food. You can read more about it here.

Trolley Pub

Come on. Admit it. Youโ€™ve seen the Trolley Pub ride by and youโ€™ve always wondered if they are REALLY pushing it by pedaling! Why not see for yourself! Get to know the pubs of Raleigh and some new friends with this fun โ€œpedal-poweredโ€ pub crawl!

Ready for a Date Night in Raleigh?

Even if you donโ€™t have kids, we think these pairings are a great way to enjoy Raleigh your significant other while it’s still light outside. We hope you get a chance to try them soon and we’d love to know your thoughts on our choices.

If you’re familiar with Oak City, what would you add to this list of date night activities in Raleigh?

More Things to Do in Raleigh