What Kind Of Date Night Are You Actually Having?

Where shall we go?

It sounds like a simple question.

Then one of you says somewhere nice.

The other asks what “nice” actually means.

And suddenly date night has turned into 20 minutes of scrolling menus while neither person wants to make the decision.

Because not every date night needs the same restaurant.

Sometimes you want the meal itself to be the entertainment.

Sometimes you want a table covered in dishes you can both pick at.

Sometimes you want curry, a couple of drinks and absolutely no ceremony whatsoever.

And sometimes you just want somewhere you can settle in, order far too much food and stay for a while.

So rather than asking which Peterborough restaurant is “best” for date night, there is a better question.

What kind of date are you actually having?

Here are four very different answers.

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The “Let’s Actually Make A Night Of It” 

Katana at 44 Broadway is the one to look at when you want dinner to feel like part of the night, not just the bit before it.

There is sushi, Pan-Asian food and teppanyaki, so there is a bit more going on than sitting opposite each other waiting for two mains to arrive.

If you fancy making more of an occasion of it, there are tasting menus too.

The five-course menu is currently £49.50 per person and the seven-course menu is £59.50.

Or you can keep it much simpler and order from the main menu.

A few bits of sushi.

Something hot.

Maybe one of you orders sensibly while the other starts pointing at half the menu.

That is probably the better thing about Katana.

You can make it as much of a “big night out” as you want.

It could be a tasting-menu kind of evening where dinner is the plan.

Or it could simply be somewhere a bit different for sushi and a drink.

Either way, it has a little more theatre than the usual sit-down-and-order-a-main routine.

Katana is open Monday from 5pm to 10pm; Tuesday to Friday from noon to 2.30pm and 5pm to 10pm; Saturday from noon to 4pm and 5pm to 10pm; and Sunday from noon to 4pm and 5pm to 9pm.

Fire & Wok at 36 Cowgate is a good shout if neither of you wants to be stuck with one plate all night.

The menu is built for sharing.

Cantonese and Szechuan dishes, a few things in the middle, plenty to pick at, and usually at least one dish that disappears much faster than expected.

There is also a three-course signature set menu at £31 per person, with a minimum of two people.

That gives you an easy option if you do not want to spend half the evening debating what to order.

Or you can ignore the set menu and just build the table yourself.

A couple of starters.

A few mains.

Rice.

Maybe one extra dish because somebody says, “We might as well.”

That is probably where Fire & Wok works best for date night.

It feels less formal than a tasting menu, but still gives you enough going on to make the meal feel like a night out rather than just grabbing something to eat.

It is open daily from noon until 10pm, so it works just as well for an early meal as it does for a later evening booking.

The “Curry, Drinks And Keep It Casual” Date 

Tap & Tandoor at 53 Cumbergate is for the date night that does not particularly want to behave like date night.

No hushed dining room required.

No obligation to turn up dressed as though somebody might propose.

Just Indian food, grills, small plates, craft beer and cocktails.

The menu makes it easy to decide how serious you want dinner to become.

Small plates currently start from £6.95.

Curries start from £9.50.

The mixed grill is £21.95.

So you could sit down for a curry and a drink.

Order several things and share them.

Or begin with the intention of just having a couple of small plates and see how long that lasts.

That flexibility is the appeal.

You do not have to decide before arriving whether this is a full three-course evening or just food and drinks that might turn into something longer.

It also works particularly well if the meal is only one part of the night.

Shopping first.

A film afterwards.

A drink somewhere else.

Or simply staying exactly where you are because neither of you can be bothered to move.

Sometimes that is a very successful date night.

The “Put It In The Middle And We’ll Sort It Out” Date - Turkish Kitchen

Turkish Kitchen at 34 New Road is another good choice if you would rather order for the table than guard one plate each.

The menu includes cold and hot meze, charcoal grills, combination kebabs, fish and larger dishes.

So you can build the meal as you go.

A few dishes to start.

Something from the charcoal grill.

Another plate because the first lot disappeared faster than expected.

And perhaps one final thing that neither of you really needs.

That is half the fun.

You can keep adding to the table, take your time and share everything.

Although this may be less relaxing if you are with somebody who says, I’m not very hungry, and then eats half of yours.

Turkish Kitchen is currently open Monday to Thursday from 11.30am to 10.30pm, Friday and Saturday until 11pm, and Sunday until 10pm.

Reservations are available through the restaurant.

So, Which Date Are You Having?

Forget trying to find the single “most romantic” restaurant.

The better question is what sort of night you actually fancy.

Katana if you want sushi, teppanyaki and something that feels a bit more like an occasion.

Fire & Wok if you want the table covered in dishes and nobody particularly cares whose plate is whose.

Tap & Tandoor if curry, grills and a couple of drinks sounds more appealing than anything formal.

And Turkish Kitchen if you want meze, charcoal cooking and plenty to share.

Four restaurants.

Four completely different versions of date night.

Now tell us yours: where do you go in Peterborough when somebody says, “Let’s go out tonight”?