Speed Dating in The City @ The Otherist | 30s-40s

Original Dating are running another speed dating night for the 30s-40s crowd at The Otherist on Friday 11 June, from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. It's one of their regular London slots, and the format is the one most of us know: you get a few minutes with a series of people, and you decide on the spot if there's enough there to warrant a proper date. They pitch it as the in-person alternative to swiping, with the argument that four minutes face to face reveals more chemistry than a week of messaging.

On the night, the women stay seated while the men move around the room. Everyone marks each date as Yes, No or Friend on their Passion Passport™, and the matches are calculated and sent via the website's private messages by 5pm the next day. The one thing they make a point of is that nobody ever sees a 'No' — you only hear from the people who actually want to see you again.

They bill this as London's busiest weekly speed dating event, and it takes over a private room at The Otherist, which they describe as a super slick City venue a stone's throw from Liverpool Street and Bank. The crowd is said to be sociable and drawn from across London, not just the Square Mile, with daters travelling in from as far as Chelmsford and Guildford.

Tickets are £20, and there's a DatePass price of £10 for a 50% discount. The night runs from 7:30pm to 9:30pm on Friday 11 June at The Otherist, 111 Old Broad Street, EC2N 1AP, with Liverpool Street and Bank as the nearest stations.