Updated June 16, 2025
As a Brown grad, here are my tried-and-true best Providence date ideas!
Whether you want affordable first date ideas that aren’t drinking, or want to break your lazy phase with your multi-year S.O., I know your next date going to be incredible with the help of this guide.
With that, let’s dive into the best Providence date ideas!
Providence Date Ideas
Best Providence First Date Ideas
Affordable & Wholesome First Date Ideas
I’ve learned it’s not a bad idea to keep first dates wholesome, quick and affordable (do I really like you??).
Three Sisters Ice Cream + Walk on Blackstone Boulevard
Freshen up with a whippin’ fresh dirty garden mint (for that maybe first kiss) or spice things up with a scoop of kulfi (with pistachio, cardamom and cinnamon!) at this homemade ice cream point at the end of Blackstone Boulevard.
(Is ice cream not the vibe? Alternatively, head to Seven Stars Bakery on Hope Street. It’s a 10 min walk from Blackstone, has delicious pastries, and a beautiful courtyard.)
If they pass the first vibe check, walk off the ice cream with the 30 min walk down Blackstone Boulevard.
As you probably know, it’s pretty in the middle of things so it should feel like a safe walk with a stranger.
Address: Three Sisters – 1070 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02906
Aleppo Sweets: A Cultural Experience with Cup of Coffee in Copper Rakwa
A leisurely stop at this Syrian tea shop always feels like rediscovering a hidden gem.
Sip a Turkish coffee accented with a dash of cardamom. Enjoy it with intricate baklava that tells a memorable story in flavor and in texture.
They’re open later than a typical cafe (8:30/9:30pm), making it a great non-alcoholic alternative.
Is the date slappin’? Awesome! Make it a dinner date since they’ve got actual food too (kabob, mezze, wraps).
Baker-owner Youssef Akhtarini, an Aleppo native, opened the bakery in 2019 after fleeing admist the Syrian civil war.
Address: 107 Ives Street, Providence, RI 02906
Romantic Date Night With Your S.O.
We’ve gone on a few dates (or have been dating a few years!). Time to make more memories 🫶
Romantic Dinner & Tasty Dessert on Italian Federal Hill
Dress up and soak in the vibes in Providence’s Little Italy.
Many Italians immigrated to Federal Hill starting the late 1800s through the early 1900s. Part of that living history are the incredible Italian (and other!) restaurants.
Romance at the warmly lit Pane e Vino, or people watch at Costantino’s Venda Bar & Ristorante’s street-facing outdoor seating.
Top it off with dessert at Pastiche. If the date went well… splurge on what they’re best known for: their legendary fruit tarts ($39 for 8”). Or pick up a quick tiramisu ($8.50)!
WaterFire: Light the River (& your heart?!) on Fire
Roughly every month from early summer to late fall, the 80+ braziers along the Providence River are literally fired up after sunset. Booming ritualistic and religious tunes create a warm and festive ambience.
The often dramatic opening feels like a mix of adult Disneyland and the medieval thrust of the Game of Thrones.
Whatever anxieties you have are put to a pause as you gaze into the fires and think back to the days electricity didn’t exist and fire was used instead.
Option 1: Grab a Bite from the WaterFire Market Vendors (Budget-Friendly)
The most budget-friendly date idea is to meet at WaterFire, ideally in the rounded amphitheater area across Capital Grille.
You could also meet up a bit earlier and grab a bite at their food market, which has offered Indian food and pizza to ice cream and beer. (Check their IG for upcoming vendors.)
Option 2: Pair with Dinner or Drinks
WaterFire starts about 15 minutes after sunset. During the summer months, you could totally sneak in an earlier dinner or happy hour drinks in downtown Providence and walk over.
For a romantic date night, I’d pair WaterFire with cozy New Rivers, a bistro 6 minutes of a walk away, or charming French at Pot Au Feu, which is a 10 min walk away.
Toward the fall months, you could probably sneak in a quick happy hour drink or go for cocktails/wine after.
Check out classy Marcelino’s for excellent cocktails in an elevated, moody setting (7 min walk away).
(Though the fires are lit until midnight, I’d definitely go at opening to experience the programming and vibes.)
Option 3: Add the Boat Tour (it’s BYOB!)
Celebrating a birthday/new job/anniversary? Or already been to WaterFire a few times?
It’s time to hop on that boat for a 30 min ride up close & personal to the fires!
The cost goes from $60 per person for the opening ceremony, $50 shortly after, and $40 (great if you’re on a budget) for rides ~2h+ after the lighting.
It’s BYOB, so you can easily make the tour boat the sole date event for the night!
(It’s not narrated by the way. Pure vibes.)
Address: 101 Dyer Street, Providence, RI
Romantic Winter Date Ideas
Cue New England. It’s chilly af and dark outside, but we’re now even more in need for a snuggle than ever.
Worry not; not only survive, but thrive during these colder months with quality time date ideas.
Coffee at Little City + RISD Museum
Meet up for a coffee (and breakfast sandwich!) at modern and light-filled Little City downtown, then walk 10 minutes to the Rhode Island School of Design Museum!
As arguably the most prestigious art institution in the country, I guess I didn’t expect anything less… But I was truly impressed at the RISD Museum.
I loved that every piece had a deepening but also easy-to-understand description. The exhibits were coherently and well-curated.
It was meaningful to experience the beautiful pieces by RISD students, alums and artists in the Rhode Island community. But I was also surprised by the number of famous artists whose works were represented, from Ai Weiwei to Andy Warhol.
(By the way, Cafe Pearl at the end of RISD Museum is super cute. But it can get pretty loud & echoey in there, so it’s not best for a date during peak weekend hours!)
Embrace Your Inner Child: Ice Skating & Ice Bumper Cars
You know what? We’re embracing the cold.
The Providence Rink is conveniently located right by Kennedy Plaza.
The condition of the ice can be (literally) rough at times. If that’s annoying for you, it’s not a bad idea to pull up on the earlier side (they open daily at 10am).
It’s $9 to enter and $8.40 for skates, so you’re thinking about $20 per person for 3 hours of entertainment.
If you’re a college student, consider stopping by on Wed from 6-10pm, when entry is only $2. There’s also an after-work 4-6pm deal of $2 off entry Monday to Friday.
The ice bumper cars are a total vibe, especially at night (when the cars light up!). It’s $13 per ride and you can pre-book online.
When: December to March
Address: 2 Kennedy Plaza, Providence, RI 02903
Sip, Eat n’ Paint at Muse Paintbar
I’m no artist, but don’t you just wish you had a date willing to go there with you?
I swear with things like art creation (or even dance), unless I sign up for something like this, I never end up doing. Yet once I start creating, I enter a youthful flow I’d suppressed.
Muse Paintbar makes it so easy to follow step-by-step and create the same design as a class. There’s also couples art sessions, where you can create 2 pieces that are meant to be hung side-by-side together. sWooooon!
Check out the classes & pick the art you want to create!
There’s wines and cocktails, all around the $10 mark. Plus finger foods like pretzel bites ($9) and flatbreads ($11), so you can cross off dinner at the same time.
Address: 117 N Main Street, Providence, RI 02903
Feel the Buzz of Axe & Knife Throwing at Far Shot Providence
Ok, I am so bad at axe throwing but it’s still electric fun!
It’s easy to fall into a winter rut and get lazy about planning interesting dates. If you’ve been with your boo for a second and haven’t been going on interesting dates, axe throwing is a great way to add some buzz to your relationship. Plus, it’s a fun double-date idea too!
The coaches at Far Shot Providence are professional, friendly and make you feel safe, which is super important at an axe bar.
I’d never tried throwing knifes before, and they had the cutest set, like one shaped like the batman logo!
There’s a bar with beer on tap ($5-6), wine ($9-12), and alcohol-infused ice cream ($10). Do note there’s no food served so this might be more of a Friday/Saturday night kinda thing in lieu of a typical drinks date.
It’s not the biggest axe bar with 3 lanes total, so I’d book ahead. It’s $25 per person for axe throwing for an hour, and I’d def suggest tacking on the $5 to throw knives!
Address: 95 Chestnut Street, Providence, RI 02903
Learn to Throw Pottery, Weld & Cook!
If summer is about experiencing, the winter time is about learning and leveling up!
Take a cooking class or go pottery wheel throwing at to learn something together with your curious other half.
- BYOB Cooking Class in East Greenwich at TasteBuds Kitchen: It’s not Providence, but if you have access to a car, TasteBuds offers practical yet interesting cooking classes that you could recreate at home. At $65 and BYOB, it’s one of the most budget-friendly options out there.
- Colorful and Delicious Bold Macarons: This cooking class is truly something special. Chef Jorge’s house is beautiful, as are the colorful macarons you’ll make from scratch. There’s only about 2 classes per month, and it’s $110 per person.
- Pottery & Welding at The Steel Yard: From welding to throwing, they offer lower priced one-time classes ($125-150 for 3 hours).
Providence Date Ideas (Conclusion)
In this guide, we went over the best Providence date ideas.
Whether it’s a cute but low-key first date or you want to shake things up with your long-time S.O., there’s so many hidden gems to take advantage of in the Providence area!
Given that top culinary school JWU is right here in Providence, it’s the perfect place to enjoy delicious food and hip concepts.
Be sure to save this list for later to plan your next romantic date in the capital city of Rhode Island.
Thanks for checking out my article about Providence date ideas!
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