‘Cuffing Season’ is here again! Here are a ton of cool dates we’ve planned for you and your cuddle buddy

Tis’ the season! And no, I don’t mean Christmas. I’m talking about Cuffing Season, of course.

We all find our vices to get through the colder months of the year. For some, it’s a glass of whiskey and their favorite Netflix show, all alone. For others, it’s finding a person to do that with.

“Cuffing Season” has been dissected by doctors and psychologists for decades, but that word for seeking out a partner during the colder months is relatively new. It’s derived from the word “cuff,” which used to mean “hook-up,” but cuffing season really isn’t about just hooking up anymore. As the days get shorter and colder, many people seek warmth and companionship, yearning for cozy date nights and someone to cuddle up with. 

Maybe you’re trying to find that special someone, or maybe you already have that special someone. Either way, here are a ton of fun ways to impress your date and stay cuffed:

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For the Adventurous 

A Frame-worthy Night
This isn’t your average bowling date. Sequoia Pro Bowl still looks preserved from the 1960s, and the ambiance is immaculate. They also serve excellent pizza and cheap pitchers of beer. Bowling is a perfect way to connect with each other – there’s no time to be distracted on your phone, and some competition can be flirty and fun. Plus, you can keep your eye out if they wear dirty socks or not.

Break the Ice
There’s an outdoor ice rink at Dublin Crossing that runs until mid-March. Grab a hot chocolate, warm up by the fireplaces in the pavilion, and don’t be scared to embarrass yourself. It’s charming! Plus, you might have to hold hands if you both can’t stay up on your skates…

Experiment Together
Once a month, COSI opens after-hours for cool adult events called COSI After Dark. From wizard school to superheroes, you and your partner can mozy about this award-winning science museum and get playful together. The drinks help lighten up the mood, too.

Get Playful
What better way to discover if your partner is a sore loser or not than by challenging them to some vintage arcade games at 16 Bit Bar + Arcade? There’s a full bar at both locations in Dublin and Columbus, and food right at both, too, in case things are going well and you want to make the date last a little longer.

For the Foodies

Try Tensuke
If you and your date are craving something a little more unique than your average restaurant, check out Tensuke Market. This Asian grocery store with a restaurant and bakery attached offers unique snacks and imported sake, and the adjacent Japanese restaurant boasts some of the best ramen in the city. If you’re not ready to end the date, finish off with some matcha ice cream next door at Belle’s Bread. 

Let the Love Sizzle
It’s a universal experience that diners make everyone feel like they’re in a movie, right? Plus, going on a diner date automatically tells you what your cuffing buddy likes for breakfast and how they take their coffee, which you can then note for future sleepovers. Coffee, pancakes, good conversation over the clinking of forks and the sizzling grill – it’s romantic in a way that’s not trying to be too romantic, which is somehow even more romantic. Try Beechwold Diner in Clintonville, Stav’s in Bexley, German Village Coffee Shop (take a walk around Schiller if the wait is too long!), or Tommy’s, located Downtown. 

A Market Success
Grab a variety of small bites from the various food vendors at North Market Short North and share them on the second level of the market, overlooking the hustle and bustle of it all. Or opt for the freshly shucked oysters from COLO, sitting right at the oyster bar. After all, they do say oysters are aphrodisiacs. This way, you can get a better idea of what kind of food your date likes! If you still have room for dessert, grab some Jeni’s or a cappuccino and take a walk around the Short North or Goodale Park.

For the “Let’s Grab Drinks?” Crowd 

Olive Juice
The Avenue makes some of the best martinis, Manhattan’s, and Brooklyn’s in the city, and their brass and wooden bar oozes romance.

Keep it Low-Key
If you really wanna play it cool (or should we say, play it pool), take your date to Johnnie’s Glen Ave. Grill, one of Columbus’ best dive bars with cheap gin & tonics, complete with dim lighting and a pool table. Charming dive-bars are rare to find these days, and they’re always really fun.

Raise a Glass (or bottle)
The Bottle Shop is easily one of the coziest cocktail bars in Cbus. You can pick out a bottle of wine together at the adjacent shop and drink it in the dark bar area (with cool, vintage videos projected on a wall), or order delicious, hand-crafted cocktails straight from the bar. The music here is always on-point – let’s just say, they know what they’re doing with that playlist of theirs.

Coffee over Cocktails
A latte is still considered a drink! If you’re more comfortable with coffee rather than cocktails, the cutest coffee shops that would be perfect for a cozy date include sitting by the fireplaces at both Parable Cafe and Stauf’s German Village, dressing up for the cold weather to sit on the patio at Pistacia Vera (like they do in Europe!), listening to vinyl records together at The Roosevelt, or taking in the downtown views at Brioso. 

For the Super Romantics

The Secret Ingredient
First comes cuffing season, then dating, then probably living together. And living together means cooking together. You might as well find out right away if you’re compatible in the kitchen – at Quinci Emporium, you can sign up for romantic cooking classes for two, where you learn how to make a traditional Italian dish, complete with hand-pulled pasta.

Go Over (to) The Top
A restaurant that hasn’t changed since 1955, complete with a fireplace, white linen tables, a leather bar, and a live pianist every evening exudes romance. The Top, located in Bexley, is one of our tip picks for a restaurant that will impress any date.

A Blank Canvas
The Columbus Museum of Art is incredibly romantic and beautiful in its own way. Browse classic and contemporary pieces of art and ask your date their own interpretations of the pieces, which can spark thoughtful conversations.

Want to read more? Check out our print publications, (614) Magazine and Stock & Barrel. Learn where you can find free copies of our newest issues here!

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