London

Royal Opera House

Cheap date
Place to meet Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park on any day of the week. Watch the polemical efforts of London’s sharpest minds as they attempt to impress a crowd of six. You have to pay to see that in a comedy club.
Where to eat If tugging your date round the free sample stalls in Selfridges Food Hall (400 Oxford Street, W1, 0870 837 7377) seems a tad too cheap, try budget Soho stalwart the Stockpot (18 Old Compton Street, W1, 020 7287 1066). Meals tend to ring in it at under a fiver, despite the fact that most come with chips… and rice!
What to do Burn off your meal by standing through a ballet performance at the Royal Opera House (Bow Street, WC2, 020 7304 4500). Non-seated tickets are only £4 each.
Later on Continue the pursuit of thrifty culture by moving over to QEH on the South Bank (Royal Festival Hall, SE1, 020 7921 0758). Here you can drink in the balcony bar and hear live concerts from the auditoria over the sound system.
Where to end up Hostels are the answer. Piccadilly Backpackers (12 Sherwood Street, W1, 020 7434 9009) is as cheap as chips, with double rooms for £54 per person. Feature continues