Dream Destinations for Two: Paris & London

Some trips are about beaches. This one is about cobbled streets, candlelight and long dinners. Paris and London are two of the most romantic cities in the world, and somehow we haven't been together yet. Here are the small hotels and date-night tables at the top of our list.

Our wishlist, not a review. We haven't stayed or eaten at any of these places yet. We picked them through research: intimate, design-led, couple-friendly spots, mostly independent or small boutique groups rather than big chains. When we go, we'll come back and tell you honestly what lived up to the dream. Always check opening times, policies and rates on each official site before you book. Photos show the destinations, not the hotels or restaurants.

Here's how we chose: every hotel had to feel like a hideaway for two in the middle of the city (small, beautifully designed, somewhere you'd want to come back to in the afternoon), and every restaurant had to feel like an occasion. Jump to Paris or London. Planning something tropical instead? See our Bali & Thailand wishlist.

Dream city one

Paris: candlelight, courtyards and a table in the sky

The Eiffel Tower rising above Paris rooftops and the bridges of the Seine — The Eiffel Tower over the Seine and the rooftops of Paris
Photo: ThePromenader, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and colour-edited.

Why it's on our list: it's the most romantic city cliché for a reason, and we want to do it properly. We'd skip the big hotels for something small and hidden, walk everywhere (the Marais, Montmartre's steep little streets, the bridges over the Seine at blue hour) and plan the trip around three very different dinners.

Where we'd stay

Le Pavillon de la Reine · Place des Vosges, Le Marais
Set behind an ivy-covered courtyard on the oldest square in Paris, with a spa to come back to after a long day of walking. It feels like a secret garden in the middle of the Marais.
Official website · @pavillon_de_la_reine

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Red-brick arcaded houses around the gardens of Place des Vosges — Place des Vosges, Le Marais
Photo: GFreihalter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and colour-edited.

The pink La Maison Rose café with green shutters on a Montmartre corner — La Maison Rose, Montmartre
Photo: Moonik, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and colour-edited.

Hôtel Particulier Montmartre · Avenue Junot, Montmartre
Just five suites in a townhouse hidden in a private garden, with a cocktail bar, Le Très Particulier, tucked inside. It's about as intimate as a Paris hotel gets.
Official website · @hotelparticuliermontmartre

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Relais Christine · Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Left Bank
A 48-room boutique hotel on a quiet street off the Seine, with individually decorated rooms, a garden and a Guerlain spa. Ideal for Left Bank cafés and riverside walks.
Official website · @relaischristine

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Where we'd book dinner

Le Coupe-Chou · Latin Quarter
A candlelit restaurant in a historic house, with exposed stone, fireplaces and cosy nooks. Booking is online only.
Official website

Le Jules Verne · Eiffel Tower, 2nd floor
Fine dining inside the Eiffel Tower itself, with the city spread out below. It's the big-celebration dinner on our list.
Official website

Le Train Bleu · Gare de Lyon
A grand, gilded Belle Époque dining room upstairs in a train station. We'd love it for a long lunch before catching a train south.
Official website

Dream city two

London: Georgian townhouses and champagne buttons

Tower Bridge over the Thames under a pink dusk sky — Tower Bridge and the Thames at dusk
Photo: Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and colour-edited.

Why it's on our list: London is the perfect long weekend for two: theatre, markets, afternoon tea and very good dinners. We'd base ourselves somewhere small and full of character and walk between Soho, Covent Garden and Mayfair, with a Saturday morning among the pastel houses of Notting Hill.

Where we'd stay

Hazlitt's · Frith Street, Soho
Thirty rooms across four Georgian townhouses, full of antiques, with breakfast in bed instead of a restaurant. It's history, romance and Soho on your doorstep.
Official website · @hazlittshotel

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The Portobello Hotel · Notting Hill
A boutique hotel whose "Best Room" has a signature round bed and a freestanding Victorian bathtub. We'd spend Saturday morning on Portobello Road.
Official website · @portobelloldn

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A row of pastel-painted Victorian houses on a Notting Hill street — Pastel houses in Notting Hill
Photo: Bex Walton, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and colour-edited.

The glass-roofed market hall at Covent Garden with old flower carts — Covent Garden Market
Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and colour-edited.

Covent Garden Hotel · Monmouth Street, Covent Garden
A Kit Kemp-designed Firmdale hotel with Brasserie Max downstairs, a short walk from the West End theatres. It's perfect for a show-and-supper weekend.
Official website · @coventgarden_hotel

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COMO The Halkin · Halkin Street, Belgravia
Just 41 rooms and suites in a Georgian-fronted townhouse on a quiet Belgravia street, a short walk from Hyde Park and Knightsbridge. It's the calm, residential side of London we'd want to come home to after a day out. (It's part of the small COMO group, another exception to our boutique rule.)
Official website · @comothehalkin

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COMO Metropolitan London · Park Lane, Mayfair
Light-filled and minimal, with Hyde Park just across the road and Mayfair, Shepherd Market and Bond Street on the other side. Nobu is upstairs for the big-night dinner.
Official website · @comometropolitanlondon

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Where we'd book dinner

Clos Maggiore · King Street, Covent Garden
A French restaurant famous for its blossom-filled conservatory with a retractable roof. It's the London dinner everyone seems to save for an anniversary.
Official website

Bob Bob Ricard · Soho
Glamorous booths, each with its own "Press for Champagne" button. We're not sure we could resist.
Official website

sketch · Conduit Street, Mayfair
An art-filled Mayfair landmark where the Gallery is the room for afternoon tea. It's our pick for a dressed-up afternoon date.
Official website

The tickets we'd book before we go

Both cities have a few big sights where timed entry sells out, so these are the ones we'd book as soon as the dates are set, and keep the rest of the trip loose.

The Louvre, Paris · every visitor needs a timed slot, so pick an early one and head for the quieter wings firstOfficial tickets
Tower of London and the Crown Jewels · go at opening, see the jewels before the queues, then walk across Tower BridgeOfficial tickets

What we'd pack for a city weekend

A carry-on each, comfortable shoes that still look smart on cobbles, one dress-up outfit for the big dinner, and a light layer, because Paris and London evenings can turn cool. Our carry-on-only packing guide covers the rest.

Dreaming of something different? Our other wishlist is Bali & Thailand: our tropical-escape wishlist. And here are trips we have taken: our Santorini itinerary and our favourite Greek island, Paros.

Photo credits. Cover: Pont Alexandre III at blue hour, photo by Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and colour-edited. Other photos are credited under each image. Photos show the destinations only, not the hotels or restaurants listed.

Ready when you are

Plan your own escape for two

Our step-by-step guide, from choosing the place to the last dinner, with a printable checklist.

Plan your escape

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