Updated October 2026
The best places to meet singles in Leeds are Leeds Language Exchange, Chance & Counters Leeds, and Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen. Go on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening, when they are at their liveliest and it is easiest to start a conversation.
Leeds has a big student population, a compact city centre and a steady stream of people moving here for work, so plenty of people are looking for new friends at any time. Most of the social bars and game venues are a few minutes' walk from each other around Merrion Street and The Headrow.
These ten places are real and open, checked in October 2026, from a Thursday language exchange at The Griffin to gigs at the Brudenell and a Monday jive class in Moortown. Most of them work just as well if you go on your own.
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Language exchange (weekly)City Centre£All ages
A Thursday evening exchange from 7pm in the back room of The Griffin, where the organisers say over 40 people come each week to practise languages in small groups. Entry is a small fee; check the organisers' Instagram before you go.
The Griffin, 31 Boar Lane, Leeds LS1 5DA · Walk-in
Board game café and barMerrion Street£20s
A board game café and bar with a library of hundreds of games, craft beer, cocktails and diner-style food, open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. A small hourly fee gets you the full library, and a game gives you something to talk about straight away. Closed on Mondays.
6-8 Merrion Street, Leeds LS1 6PQ · Takes bookings
Bar, street food and music venueNorthern Quarter£20s
A three-floor bar with pizza and burgers from resident kitchens downstairs, a gig and club space in the middle and a roof terrace on top. Long tables and a busy, mixed crowd make it easy to fall into conversation.
1-1a Cross Belgrave Street, Leeds LS2 8JP · Takes bookings
Beer hall and roof terraceThe Headrow££20s
A big beer hall with, a roof terrace and an events space for gigs and DJs, open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. The shared tables in the beer hall are a natural place to meet the people next to you.
19a The Headrow, Leeds LS1 6PU · Takes bookings
Social darts barPark Row££20s
A social darts venue with semi-private oches, cocktails and food, open until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. Popular with after-work groups from the offices around Park Row, and the scoring is automatic, so nobody needs to be good at maths.
Sovereign House, 1-2 South Parade, Leeds LS1 5QL · Takes bookings
Retro arcade barMerrion Street££20s
A neon-lit bar full of classic arcade machines and retro consoles, with cocktails to match. Challenging someone to a rematch is about the easiest opener in town.
11 Merrion Street, Leeds LS1 6PG · Takes bookings
Crazy golf barThe Light££20s
Three themed crazy golf courses with cocktails, bar snacks and loud music, billed as crazy golf and a house party in one. Good for a group night out where you end up mixing with the next group on the course.
The Light, The Headrow, Leeds LS1 8TL · Takes bookings
Social club and live music venueHyde Park£All ages
A much-loved social club and music venue with gigs most nights, cheap drinks and pies at the bar. Regulars, students and touring bands share the same rooms, and chatting at the bar is part of the culture.
33 Queen's Road, Leeds LS6 1NY · Walk-in
Run club (free weekly 5k)Hyde Park£All ages
A free, timed 5k every Saturday morning on Woodhouse Moor, close to the universities, open to runners, joggers and walkers. Many people head for coffee together afterwards, and volunteering is an easy way to get to know the regulars. Register online before your first run.
Woodhouse Moor, Leeds LS6 · Walk-in
Dance class and socialMoortown£40+
Monday night modern jive with a beginners' lesson at 7:45pm and freestyle dancing until 10:30pm. No partner and no booking needed, partners rotate during the lesson, and the crowd spans many ages, including plenty of people in their 40s and 50s.
Moortown Social Club, Cranmer Gardens, Leeds LS17 5LA · Walk-in
Popular places to meet people in Leeds include Leeds Language Exchange (language exchange (weekly)), Chance & Counters Leeds (board game café and bar), and Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen (bar, street food and music venue). All of them are easy to visit alone or with friends.
Pick an indoor spot such as Leeds Art Gallery or Henry Moore Institute. Both work well for a first date in any weather.
In the YesTonite City Index, Leeds is number 16 of 112 cities for dating, with a dating score of 7.7 out of 10.
Open YesTonite and see who in Leeds is going out tonight. Say hi, agree on a time and meet at one of the places on this page.
Checked October 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so call or check the website before you go.
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