RANKED: The Most Romantic Cities in the UK
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we rated UK cities on all things love-related to reveal the country’s biggest hopeless romantic hotspots!
Cobbled streets, riverside walks, rustic alleyways – some places just have a certain je ne sais quoi, but when it comes to matters of the heart, you might be surprised to discover where Brits have the most game.
More proposals in Leeds than any other city
There’s something in the air in Leeds. It seems nowhere else pops the big question as much as the loved-up residents of this Yorkshire city, with more people interested in engagement rings here than anywhere else in the country.
Call it controversial, but when it comes to proposals, it seems that Northerners are far more romantic than Southerners by a long shot, with places like Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester in the top five, as well as Scotland’s Glasgow in third place.
| Rank | City | Interest in engagement rings per 100,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leeds | 875 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 760 |
| 3 | Glasgow | 719 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 674 |
| 5 | Manchester | 650 |
| 6 | Belfast | 578 |
| 7 | Birmingham | 574 |
| 8 | Edinburgh | 571 |
| 9 | Hull | 554 |
| 10 | Nottingham | 513 |
| 11 | Bristol | 507 |
| 12 | Derby | 492 |
| 13 | Stoke | 469 |
| 14 | Cardiff | 456 |
| 15 | London | 450 |
| 16 | Bradford | 443 |
| 17 | Sheffield | 441 |
| 18 | Coventry | 434 |
| 19 | Leicester | 340 |
| 20 | Southampton | 327 |
Lovers in Leeds are making the most of Valentine’s Day plans
Leeds ranks first for the most proposals, so it’s no surprise the city also beats all others when celebrating Valentine’s Day.
Cupid will be busiest here on February 14th, with more people in Leeds searching for things to do on Valentine’s Day than in any other city.
Luckily anyone who lives here is spoilt for choice. From country estate dinners and live jazz venues to cocktails and views at the city’s rooftop bars, plus plenty of other romantic things to see and do, it’s also a great destination for a city break.
| Rank | City | Interest in Valentine’s Day per 100,000 people |
| 1 | Leeds | 477 |
| 2 | Newcastle | 355 |
| 3 | Manchester | 343 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 328 |
| 5 | Nottingham | 321 |
| 6 | Edinburgh | 315 |
| 7 | Birmingham | 313 |
| 8 | Glasgow | 310 |
| 9 | Bristol | 280 |
| 10 | Derby | 273 |
| 11 | Belfast | 267 |
| 12 | Cardiff | 251 |
| 13 | Hull | 249 |
| 14 | London | 247 |
| 15 | Bradford | 244 |
| 16 | Sheffield | 239 |
| 17 | Coventry | 238 |
| 18 | Stoke | 213 |
| 19 | Leicester | 212 |
| 20 | Southampton | 178 |
Derby is the most loved-up UK city
Meet the hopeless romantics! Derby residents are hot on the search for love, quite literally, with online interest in the topic higher than in any other UK romantic city.
Derby has also been named one of the most beautiful cities in the country a few times for its scenery, average sunshine hours and pretty walks.
| Rank | City | Interest in love per 100,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derby | 273 |
| 2 | Leeds | 258 |
| 3 | Birmingham | 252 |
| 4 | Manchester | 235 |
| 5 | Newcastle | 209 |
| 6 | London | 201 |
| 7 | Nottingham | 189 |
| 8 | Edinburgh | 173 |
| 9 | Liverpool | 173 |
| 10 | Glasgow | 163 |
| 11 | Coventry | 160 |
| 12 | Bristol | 154 |
| 13 | Leicester | 153 |
| 14 | Belfast | 146 |
| 15 | Cardiff | 137 |
| 16 | Hull | 135 |
| 17 | Bradford | 133 |
| 18 | Sheffield | 132 |
| 19 | Stoke | 116 |
| 20 | Southampton | 97 |
Newcastle has the most romantic restaurants
If a candlelit dinner in an intimate setting with your favourite person sounds like a dream, Newcastle is the place to be.
When it comes to scoring a coveted Valentine’s Day booking, Newcastle gives you more restaurants to choose from, with the highest romantic restaurant-to-people ratio of anywhere else in the country (don’t leave it to the last minute though!).
Whether it’s a first date or a special occasion, Newcastle serves up everything from Michelin star hotspots to cosy hideaways on cobbled streets, making it the perfect place to indulge the palate.
| Rank | City | Romantic restaurants per 100,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newcastle | 54 |
| 2 | Edinburgh | 51 |
| 3 | Leeds | 33 |
| 4 | Nottingham | 33 |
| 5 | Glasgow | 32 |
| 6 | Liverpool | 30 |
| 7 | Southampton | 29 |
| 8 | Belfast | 29 |
| 9 | Cardiff | 28 |
| 10 | Bristol | 24 |
| 11 | Manchester | 23 |
| 12 | Stoke | 23 |
| 13 | Derby | 23 |
| 14 | Sheffield | 20 |
| 15 | London | 19 |
| 16 | Birmingham | 15 |
| 17 | Hull | 14 |
| 18 | Leicester | 13 |
| 19 | Bradford | 10 |
| 20 | Coventry | 6 |
Leeds sends more bouquets than any other city
As the city with the most proposals, Leeds takes the top spot as the city that also gifts the most flowers.
For couples in Leeds, nothing says ‘I love you’ quite like the gift of flowers. From delicate lilies to passionate red roses and fragrant peonies, online interest in bouquets is higher in Leeds than any other location in the UK.
If you’re planning on sending a bunch of flowers to the apple of your eye this Valentine’s Day, word is that CO2-absorbing plants, hot pink bouquets and serene lavender are some of the hottest trends of 2023.
| Rank | City | Interest in flowers per 100,000 people |
| 1 | Leeds | 1,074 |
| 2 | Edinburgh | 1,063 |
| 3 | Birmingham | 1,052 |
| 4 | London | 1,006 |
| 5 | Manchester | 975 |
| 6 | Glasgow | 882 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 851 |
| 8 | Nottingham | 769 |
| 9 | Bristol | 769 |
| 10 | Liverpool | 760 |
| 11 | Derby | 720 |
| 12 | Bradford | 665 |
| 13 | Sheffield | 662 |
| 14 | Coventry | 650 |
| 15 | Leicester | 616 |
| 16 | Belfast | 578 |
| 17 | Cardiff | 541 |
| 18 | Southampton | 483 |
| 19 | Stoke | 469 |
| 20 | Hull | 450 |
Manchester swipes right the most
Looking for the dating capital of the UK? Look no further than Manchester. Online interest in dating is higher in the northern city than anywhere else, indicating residents are keen to put themselves out there and meet new people in pursuit of finding THE ONE.
| Rank | City | Interest in dating per 100,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | 38 |
| 2 | Leeds | 34 |
| 3 | Newcastle | 32 |
| 4 | Bristol | 30 |
| 5 | Nottingham | 29 |
| 6 | Birmingham | 28 |
| 7 | Glasgow | 28 |
| 8 | Edinburgh | 28 |
| 9 | London | 27 |
| 10 | Bradford | 25 |
| 11 | Liverpool | 24 |
| 12 | Sheffield | 20 |
| 13 | Cardiff | 20 |
| 14 | Leicester | 19 |
| 15 | Coventry | 19 |
| 16 | Derby | 19 |
| 17 | Stoke | 18 |
| 18 | Hull | 17 |
| 19 | Belfast | 15 |
| 20 | Southampton | 15 |
London is best for LGBTQ+ dating
A survey around LGBTQ+ friendly cities named the below places as best when it comes to factors such as LGBTQ+ clubbing, safety, rights and, of course, dating.
London outranks them all as the most LGBTQ+-friendly and the most romantic, fun setting for a date.
| Rank | City | LGBTQ+ Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 4.9 |
| 2 | Manchester | 4.5 |
| 3 | Bristol | 3.6 |
| 4 | Glasgow | 3.6 |
| 5 | Leeds | 3.5 |
| 6 | Edinburgh | 3.1 |
| 7 | Birmingham | 2.9 |
| 8 | Liverpool | 2.7 |
| 9 | Cardiff | 2.3 |
Lovers on a budget, head to Leeds
As well as scoring first place in other romantic areas, Leeds is also our top UK romance hotspot for affordable dining, with the best budget restaurant-to-people ratio.
A hot date doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. According to Numbeo, the cost of a cheap meal in Leeds costs an average of £12, with a three-course meal at a mid-range restaurant costing around £50.
| Rank | City | Number of budget restaurants per 100,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leeds | 313 |
| 2 | Newcastle | 82 |
| 3 | Edinburgh | 78 |
| 4 | Manchester | 61 |
| 5 | Nottingham | 59 |
| 6 | Southampton | 58 |
| 7 | Glasgow | 55 |
| 8 | Cardiff | 55 |
| 9 | Stoke | 54 |
| 10 | Liverpool | 49 |
| 11 | Leicester | 44 |
| 12 | Sheffield | 43 |
| 13 | Belfast | 42 |
| 14 | Bristol | 42 |
| 15 | Hull | 40 |
| 16 | Bradford | 38 |
| 17 | Coventry | 34 |
| 18 | London | 33 |
| 19 | Derby | 32 |
| 20 | Birmingham | 30 |
Nowhere does romance like London
As one of the most dazzling cities in the world, it’s no wonder all the loved-up romantics searching for date night ideas on TikTok turn to London. With more than 12 million searches for ‘London date night’ on the social platform, the city dominates as the place with the strongest reputation for romance.
| Rank | City | TikTok views for ‘date night’ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 12,300,000 |
| 2 | Glasgow | 4,300,000 |
| 3 | Belfast | 629,400 |
| 4 | Edinburgh | 472,500 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 74,400 |
| 6 | Birmingham | 60,500 |
| 7 | Leeds | 58,100 |
| 8 | Nottingham | 25,100 |
| 9 | Cardiff | 12,200 |
| 10 | Newcastle | 11,000 |
THE FINAL RESULTS: Leeds is the UK’s most romantic city of 2023
After dominating the rankings in four of nine categories, it’s no wonder Leeds is the most romantic city for 2023.
The sprawling metropolis is the commercial capital of Yorkshire, loved for its vibrant and creative energy, breathtaking skyline and droolworthy food and drink scene. With no shortage of dining spots and scenic outdoor locations perfect for a date, singletons and couples are spoilt for choice when choosing an experience in Leeds.
Singletons can break the ice on the first date with a round of glitter-filled crazy golf at Junkyard Golf Club, a romantic walk at the breathtaking Harewood House country estate, or a night of lost inhibitions at Blind Tyger, one of the most iconic cocktail spots in the city. And all for a fraction of London prices!
Fall in love with your next home in one of the UK’s most romantic cities
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Method
TikTok for TikTok views.
- Interest in engagement rings, Valentine’s Day, flowers, dating and love is based on Google Trends data for the UK YoY.
- Romantic and budget restaurant scores are calculated by the most romantic restaurants per person based on TripAdvisor’s romantic and cheap eats filters and population data for each city from CityPopulation.de and Wikipedia.
- LGBT+ data is based on Nestpick’s best LGBT cities rankings.
