The summer heat is finally gone! Rejoice! We’re in that perfect sweet spot now where the sun still stays out until 8:30 PM while staying a reasonable temperature (for the most part). In other words, it’s the perfect time of the year to take your sweetheart out for a night on the town.
Here at Totally Boise, we want to make sure that you know all the best new spots to impress your potential date; and with Boise recently being listed as the fastest growing city in America there are certainly lots of new options to choose from. We’ve taken the liberty of putting together a list of the best possible new date spots in Boise (and a couple old ones, just for good measure), regardless of if you’re an early bird or a nightcrawler.
Here are the best new date spots in Boise, plus a few old ones that are still great as ever!
Morning
9:00 AM | Push and Pour
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, Garden City isn’t the industrial neighborhood it once was a few years ago. It seems that people started to take note of the river running down Chinden and how nice it is to spend time by the water. Which is precisely what I recommend doing for your early morning date at Push & Pour - the hip, new coffee spot down 34th Street.
Local artists work hangs on the walls, a rotating cast of dogs and their owners enjoy the big outdoor patio, the walls are adorned with murals by popular Seattle illustrator and tattoo artist Kyler Martz—all this inside of a remodeled industrial storage space complete with a massive sliding-glass-garage-door that lets in a tremendous amount of natural sunlight.
Grab your coffee from the bar (Fun Fact: it’s the exact same bartop that used to be at The Crux!) and walk a block to begin a beautiful morning walk down the greenbelt, or to watch some surfers biff it on that man-made wave in Whitewater Park. That’s always fun, too!
11:30 AM | Asana Climbing Gym
So, Asana moved. Did you know that? It’s no longer at the beginning of Chinden (that’s a crossfit gym now) and can be found off of Glenwood. It’s also no longer just a climbing gym - it’s an athletic couple’s paradise. Expanding their gym space by a massive amount, they can now fit a plethora of different activities, including: Bouldering, top rope, a Ninja Warrior obstacle course, massage rooms, yoga rooms, aerial fitness, a slackline park and even a little hangout spot in a cafe.
This is the kind of early-afternoon date spot filled with wonderful activities that will get your blood pumping and wake you up for the rest of the day - while also being extremely fun and rewarding. And if an (extremely) unhealthy man like myself can have a blast here, then you’re guaranteed to have a good time.
Afternoon
1:00 PM | The Stil
Are you familiar with The Stil? If you’re not, well shame on you! Just kidding… (But only kinda kidding). The Stil opened its doors in July of 2017. The flavors this downtown ice cream parlor creates are fantastic and stick with you. I’ll never forget the first time I had a bowl of their Picnic in the Park - which is infused with raspberry, walnut, and goat cheese. It’s incredible.
They also offer alcohol-infused treats, wine floats, gluten free options as well as non-dairy/vegan options. This is basically the ultimate date spot and if you don’t take your potential partner-in-crime here, you are really messing up. And with the perfect location downtown, there’s no reason to skip it! You could even catch a movie afterwards!
Which brings me to my next point…
2:00 PM | The Flicks
C’mon, you knew this was going to end up on this list. How could it not? Have you been to The Flicks lately? With that big outdoor sitting section filled with luscious greenery, the gooey homemade chocolate chip cookies, and an always-interesting selections of movies to choose from, The Flicks itself seems like it was ripped straight out of a late 90s romcom starring Ethan Hawke.
Where else could you catch the newest Lynne Ramsey film and then rent 28 Days Later? If you didn’t know, The Flicks has a large rental section and it rules. They have a wide array of critically-acclaimed films, foreign films, blockbusters, independent movies, cult classics, and everything in between. I’ve even seen a couple Kurosawa films on VHS.
It’s a location that is simply destined for romance—or at the very least, could help with the initial romantic spark.
3:45 PM | Txikiteo
Downtown at the corner of 14th and Idaho Street is a newer set of modern apartments in a building called The Watercooler. In the bottom corner of The Watercooler is a new basque restaurant called Txikiteo (pronounced chee-kee-tay-o). Txikiteo is, simply put, awesome.
They serve fresh, handcrafted meals that consist of tapas, charcuterie, sandwiches and more. I can’t express enough how much I love their Jamon Sandwich - an extremely satisfying (and only $7!) sandwich consisting of jamon, mostarda (a northern Italian condiment made of candied fruit and a mustard-flavoured syrup that is DELICIOUS), manchego cheese, arugula and aioli on ciabatta bread. The setting is in a sleek, contemporary design while the food is a love letter to traditional basque dishes of yesteryear.
Sidenote: Order the Gâteau Basque for dessert. I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but it’s incredible. I ordered it without knowing what exactly it was and I think that’s part of the fun.
Evening
6:00 PM | Petite 4
Remember the sandwich shop that used to be downtown called Bluebird? Or at least remember hearing about how Bluebird’s lunch lines were always out the door and around the corner? Well, Petite 4 is the newest venture from the same founders.
After leaving the sandwich-world behind, they’ve now ventured into the realm of “fine French eatery.” This could have ended poorly in lesser-able hands, but they knocked it out of the park here. The setting is small and picturesque, the food is exquisite and the location is lovely. Be sure to call ahead and make reservations for this date, though!
They are booked a few days in advance at any given time. Just be patient, it’s entirely worth the wait.
7:45 PM | Coiled Wine Bar
If you like drinking wine and pretending that you’re sitting in a fancy bar in Paris, this is the place for you! Coiled Wine Bar is a hangout that allows you to sample all of their locally made wine, right in the heart of downtown Boise. Be sure to check their schedule online, because they regularly have fun and enticing events. Aside from the great local wine and exquisitely dim-lighting, you’ll also find local nuts, chocolates, olive oils and more!
Walking into Coiled Wine Bar, you can feel the strong sense of community in the air. It’s places like this that make me love Boise.
9:00 PM | An Event at The Garden City Projects
Remember earlier how we were talking about all of that new life being injected into Garden City? This new thrift store/jewelry store/working art studio is one of our favorite spots to have popped up. The Garden City Projects is new, but already feels loved and lived-in.
Adorning the walls you’ll find artwork painted onto skateboards, local screen printed goods and other locally made items available for purchase. There’s also a half pipe in the back half of the store. And occasionally they book live bands and they perform in the middle of that half-pipe. It’s fantastic. Aside from hosting the occasional all-ages show, I’ve seen plenty of other events pop up here: Short film premieres, fundraisers for the Idaho Conservation League, DJ sets, etc.
If you have never been here, I highly recommend making a stop next time you’re out on a thrifting adventure.
8:00 PM | Wednesdays | Movie Trivia at Spacebar
I love Spacebar. Who doesn’t? It’s underground, it has rustic stone walls, pinball machines, old-school video game arcade cabinets, Nintendo 64/SNES/Gamecube games you can check out (for free, you just give them your ID) and hook up to the TV in the sitting area—and booze! Hanging out here is the closest you’ll come to being in Stranger Things.
And on Wednesdays, they have film trivia! Hosted by (one of my favorite humans) Midnight Lucy. This isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill, surface-deep film trivia either. Be prepared to know about slasher flicks as well as Oscar-winners from the 1940s. There’s three rounds and each round consists of 10 questions total, and whichever team has the most points by the end of the third round wins a free pitcher of beer.
It’s a great way to spend a Wednesday evening and I have a blast every time I find myself down there.
Late Night
10:00 PM | Cocktails at The Modern
You really wanna “woo” someone? Take them to The Modern and put it on your tab. This place feels straight-out-of-Manhattan. (You could also order a mighty fine Manhattan here!) The cocktails here are divine. You can tell that the bartenders have a certain kind of respect for the craft and how to toy around with different ingredients for different seasons. The mid-century, modern design feels simple and elegant. The drinks taste spectacular. The bartenders know what to say and when to say it.
The Modern is a classic, serving classics.
11:30 PM | DJ Set at The Neurolux
Alright, so now it’s almost midnight. You’ve watched a movie, walked around BoDo, picked up some ice cream, and had a few cocktails at The Modern. What do you do now? Call it quits?
Absolutely not! You’ve got to show your date your moves! It’s time to dance yourself clean and cut loose. Neurolux has weekly (free) DJ sets for music lovers of any type. You could find yourself dancing to late 90s / early 00s hip hop and R&B, techno remixes of 70s and 80s post-punk classics, modern dubstep, or really anything else.
The crowd is always lovely, the drinks are cheap and strong, and the patio is the perfect respite for when you need to cool down for a second. Just remember to tip your bartenders!
2 AM | GravEyard Biscuits and Gravy
This is maybe my favorite new spot in Boise. It’s a late night pop-up restaurant that is open on the weekends using the Zen Bento walk-up window on the corner of 10th and Main. This late night biscuits and gravy spot is absolutely divine after a night of drinking and sweating it out on the dance floor. The biscuits are huge, the gravy is homemade and fresh, and the flavor combinations they have created are delicious.
You want an egg on that? Done. You want bacon? Double-done. You want to replace the biscuits entirely with mac n’ cheese? You got it! Occasionally they’ll have a “secret special.” Be sure to ask whoever is running the window. One time I asked and ended up getting a gnocchi dish topped with fried kale and fresh strawberries. They even offer vegan/vegetarian options, too!
You couldn’t ask for a more perfect way to end your night.