Speed Dating | 30s-40s

Original Dating are running a speed dating night for 30s and 40s at Manahatta on Thursday 14 January, from 8pm to 10pm. It's one of their age-segmented nights — they run separate ones for 20s-30s, 30s-40s and 40s-50s — so you're meeting people in your own bracket rather than a wide mix. The whole thing is framed as an alternative to swiping on a screen, with the argument that four minutes face to face reveals more chemistry than a week of messages.

That four minutes is exactly how long each date lasts. The women stay seated and the men move from table to table, and there's a break halfway through for a drink. To keep track of everyone you meet, you use a 'Passion Passport™' to make your notes as you go. The matches are worked out and sent via the Original Dating website's private messages the next day at 5pm, so you only hear from the people who also picked you — nobody ever sees a 'No'.

It's a straightforward, old-school way of meeting people in the city. One guest from an Edinburgh night back in June 2026 called it 'a very effective and wonderful act of liberation from loneliness'. If you're tired of the apps, it's a decent way to spend a Thursday night.

Tickets are sold separately for men and women, and there are none on the door, so you'll need to book in advance. The night runs from 8pm to 10pm at Manahatta Edinburgh, 28 Rose Street, EH2 2QA.