Original Dating  Reviews 

335
TrustScore 3 out of 5

3.1

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 82 reviews, most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Customers frequently mention that the events are exceptionally well-organised and warmly praise the friendly, welcoming hosts who keep things running smoothly. Many participants genuinely appreciate the vibrant atmosphere and consider these gatherings a fantastic, relaxed way to meet new singletons face-to-face rather than endlessly swiping on apps. Some reviewers were not happy with the rigid refund policies and experienced severe difficulties getting their money back after cancelled or problematic events. Others also mentioned deep frustrations regarding uneven gender ratios, late starts, and occasional disorganisation at certain venues.

What people talk about most

Staff

Users describe positive interactions with staff, noting that organizers are very professional, helpful, and... See more

User experience

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of user experience with events, reflecting mixed opinions among... See more

Service

Reviewers express mixed feelings about the service, as some customers praise the great organisation,... See more

Location

Customers consistently note ambiguous experiences with location, as opinions on the venues vary... See more

Refund

People report negative experiences with refund policies, expressing widespread frustration over refused... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I attended their lock and key party. The venue and staff were great and I had some good conversations. I did notice quite a few of the men were older than the event age range of 30-45 (i.e. they were... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

It was a very enjoyable evening and well hosted. So interesting to meet some lovely people face to face from different walks of life. It was well balanced with an even mix of men and women and... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Really relaxed events with a really varied mix of people. Really professional coms and the post event app makes matching so easy. It’s great to have regular events in different areas and they’re alway... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Went to the lock and Key event in Harrogate. It was a fun evening, the hosts were organised and friendly, and also enthusiastic when we had a run on the locks! One issue was the area we were in at th... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Dating Service

Written by the company

If it's speed dating London you're looking for you have come to the right place. Original Dating is London's established speed dating and singles events company providing high quality dating events for Londoners at venues across the capital and in cities across the UK. Expect well attended events at superb bars attended by the kind of people you want to meet. Our speed dating events are guaranteed. If you don't meet someone you want to see again, your next event is totally free. We work tirelessly to provide quality events for singles however sadly this platform is used as a stick to beat us with. We don't shy away from negative feedback and always aim to resolve any complaints positively.


Contact info

3.1

Average

TrustScore 3 out of 5

335 reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

No recent history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative

Replied to 43% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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3.1

All reviews

(335)

80 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Best way to make friends

Best way to make friends , meet new people,very nice and professional aproach!
Warm atmosphere and welcoming!
For sure I will came again And again and again!
Daniella

September 2, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Hi recently attended a lock and key…

Hi recently attended a lock and key event in Bournemouth (14/8/26) there were too many women to men ratio which obviously is not ideal, the event lacked any structure or assistance from the host, so mainly ended up with women talking to each other- something we are all good at, but it’s the men we were there for and to get to know!!
My main gripe is I actually won 1st prize a meal for two- I emailed in as instructed to by the host- 3 times now and not one response yet with details of how I receive this prize. Please hopefully someone contact me soon.

August 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Sorry, disappointing

Sorry, very disappointing. Signed up to an event in my nearest city. Other than meeting some nice women (intention had been to date men), it was a poor event. There were 5 men (many more women) of whom one was almost 20 years younger than the age category and attended in error, and much more seriously another who was very drunk and as a result disruptive and abusive. So actually that’s just 3 men to meet. If I’d have known that I’d have saved my ticket fee! But as I had no expectations anyway after many many years off the scene, it wasn’t so much the number of people, it was the fact that there was no action taken by the host to deal with the man making everyone feel very uncomfortable, and actually unsafe. This really surprised me. I understand this was probably not a typical night, but some acknowledgment of the outcome would have been nice - every person in the room had travelled from rural areas to make the effort.

August 13, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Good experience something I never done…

Good experience something I never done before previously I loved meeting new people and getting to know them and the host was super helpful and answered my question which i appreciated.I meet a nice girl who is very genuine so I felt like I got a good result from the night too I would try it to go again.I would like to suggest giving me more time to talk to the girls or men maybe 6-7 mins so we get more time to overall get to know them and ask them questions we want to find out about their life’s because that’s important in making a decision whether you want to meet them again.

August 21, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The Ryanair of speedating companies

Awful experience both at events and from customer service. Does not deserve even the 3.3 overall rating. So many additional charges to apply to actually have a chance at a good experience. Go elsewhere. 'It's a Date' is a better option as is probably any other company rather than this one. Or go on MeetUp app for free events which are better than those organised by Original Dating...

I was too ill to attend an event and when I contacted the company, they would not let me change to a different date as I had not purchased the Booking Flexibility Upgrade.
At previous event I did attend, there was funeral wake at the venue before the event and mourners had to be asked to leave by staff so the event could take place. Felt very sorry about this.
As the event started so late, many had given up and left so far fewer dates than you would expect. But enough that the host not giving a break in the middle made it uncomfortable.
One attendee was offensive to many dates but was allowed to get away with their behaviour.
Don't bother wasting your money on Original Dating

August 4, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Would Recommend!

Had a super time at my speed dating event - a great format, well organised, and lots of fun chats. I have another event with Original Dating tomorrow and I'm already looking forward to it!

August 18, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic Single Mingle!!

Absolutely fabulous night last night at Original Dating's Bournemouth Summer Chemistry Mixer! Such good energy from everyone attending and having the event in the beautiful 1812, just added to the night. Can't wait for the next one! Great event, great organisation by Original Dating, great night! Thank you!

August 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

The night was really well organised and…

The night was really well organised and the hostess made it work, even though a few people didn't turn up. I like that you can see your matches the next day, that's a nice touch. I've been to a few speed dating nights and this one was actually worth the money.

August 13, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent organisation and a fun night…

Excellent organisation and a fun night all round! Would recommend

August 5, 2026
Unprompted review
Original Dating  logo

Reply from Original Dating

Thank you so much for the fantastic review! We’re delighted to hear you had such a fun evening and were pleased with the organisation. It’s great to know you’d recommend us, and we hope to see you at another event soon! 😊

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Really relaxed events but professional organisation.

Really relaxed events with a really varied mix of people. Really professional coms and the post event app makes matching so easy. It’s great to have regular events in different areas and they’re always well organised and well attended.

August 8, 2026
Unprompted review
Original Dating  logo

Reply from Original Dating

Thank you so much for the fantastic review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the varied mix of people at our events. It’s also great to hear that you find our communication professional and the post-event app makes matching up so easy.

We work hard to keep our events well organised and regularly available in different areas, so it’s wonderful to know that’s coming across. Thanks again for your recommendation and we hope to see you again soon! 😊

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Jaded dater given hope

I have just about given up on dating apps to meet someone despite previously meeting my ex husband and ex boyfriend online. We all lead busy lives and it’s time consuming and hard work messaging people only to find there’s no chemistry in real life. This was my first time and I genuinely enjoyed the event. It’s a great way to speak to different singletons and you don’t feel obliged to stay for long if you’re not feeling it. I am hopeful of a couple of matches and would definitely go again.

August 7, 2026
Unprompted review
Original Dating  logo

Reply from Original Dating

Thank you so much for sharing such a thoughtful review! We completely understand the frustration with dating apps — chatting for ages only to discover there’s no chemistry when you finally meet can be exhausting.

We’re delighted that you enjoyed your first speed dating experience and found it such a relaxed and natural way to meet a variety of single people face to face. We hope those couple of matches turn into something exciting! 🤞

Thanks again for giving us a try, and we’d be absolutely delighted to welcome you back to another event soon! 😊

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Avoid..

Booked for prestonand when I turned up cancelled.. no contact.. no response to emails... No refund.. avoid

August 6, 2026
Unprompted review
Original Dating  logo

Reply from Original Dating

We’re very sorry to hear about your experience. We completely understand how frustrating it must have been to arrive at an event that had been cancelled, particularly if you hadn’t received the notifications we sent you.

We take cancellations and communication around them very seriously, and we’re sorry that on this occasion you were left feeling unsupported. We’d like to look into what happened, so please contact our customer service team with your booking details and we’ll investigate this for you.

We apologise again for the inconvenience and frustration caused.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

It was a very enjoyable evening and…

It was a very enjoyable evening and well hosted.
So interesting to meet some lovely people face to face from different walks of life.
It was well balanced with an even mix of men and women and in an easy to get to pleasant venue.
My only criticism was that I felt the room was too small to host the amount of people. We were all trying intently to listen to the person we were sitting across from and it became quite noisy and hot.
Luckily some of us were able to drift off into the bar area which was quiet enough to enjoy our 4 minutes with each person.
Overall a good experience and fun evening and would book again with this company.

August 6, 2026
Unprompted review
Original Dating  logo

Reply from Original Dating

Thank you so much for your lovely and detailed review! We’re delighted to hear that you had an enjoyable evening, enjoyed meeting such a great mix of people and found the event well hosted and easy to get to.

We really appreciate your feedback about the room size, noise and temperature. It’s great that the bar area provided a quieter alternative, but we completely understand that everyone should be able to comfortably hear and enjoy their dates.

Thanks again for the honest feedback and for choosing Original Dating. We’d love to welcome you back to another event soon! 😊

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Nice location

Nice location, no loud music, no club vibe, just a welcoming simple athmosphere almost home like. Venue very close to main transports and welcome drink of choice. The hosts did do a good job breaking the ice, explaining the speed dating process and the next day internet profiles matches activity. I felt welcome and safe. Perfectly balanced ladies/gents balance with exct same number of attendees on both ends. Everyone was lovely . The speed dating game brings two istrangers together in a perfect tango of short inimacy without pressure. Conversation flew spontaneously along with a genuine laugh here and there. For me this solution is more fulfilling than the exhausting internet ever ending chatting or larger events like singles parties where I felt alone and trasparent amidst a huge crowd. A very pleasant night out! Thank you.

August 1, 2026
Unprompted review
Original Dating  logo

Reply from Original Dating

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review.

We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the relaxed, welcoming atmosphere and that you felt comfortable, safe and well looked after throughout the evening. Our hosts work hard to make everyone feel at ease, so it's wonderful to know they helped break the ice and clearly explained how everything works.

It's also great to hear that you appreciated the balanced number of ladies and gents, as well as the opportunity to have genuine, engaging conversations. We love your description of speed dating as "a perfect tango of short intimacy without pressure" – that's exactly the kind of experience we hope to create.

Thank you again for your kind words and for choosing Original Dating. We hope to welcome you back to another event very soon!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

This is a scam

This is a scam. They regularly don’t turn up and won’t refund. They didn’t arrive for the event me and my friend turned up for and then wouldn’t refund me.
A few who arrived tried to ring the number on the email they had sent but the number wasn’t recognised.
They rush you to arrive on time and the sense of urgency should have alerted me that something wasn’t right.
They will keep doing this until someone shuts them down. DONT SIGN UP.

July 1, 2026
Unprompted review
Original Dating  logo

Reply from Original Dating

We categorically reject the suggestion that our events are a scam. We've been running speed dating events across the UK for many years and have introduced thousands of people through our events.

Unfortunately, there are occasions when an event has to be cancelled, usually because of lower-than-expected bookings or unforeseen circumstances. When this happens, we notify everyone using the contact details provided at the time of booking. We're sorry if you didn't receive our communication.

We also take the allegation that you were not refunded very seriously. If a refund is due, we will always honour it. We cannot identify your booking from this review, so please contact our customer service team with your booking details and we'll investigate what happened and resolve any outstanding issues as quickly as possible.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Singles in Manchester

Very well organised, nice event meeting people in real life last night. Good competition with the padlocks for raffle competition however I do think it would be better if people were placed into groups and chatted in different groups for about 20 minutes before switching over. Sometimes feel asking for padlocks to be unlocked whilst interfering other conversations could have been avoided unnecessary.

Other than those constructive critics for attending a first singles night away from speed dating, liked the organisation of the event and brought laugher.

July 17, 2026
Unprompted review
Original Dating  logo

Reply from Original Dating

Thank you for your thoughtful review and for joining us for your first Lock & Key event!

We're delighted to hear you found the evening well organised and enjoyed meeting people in real life. It's great to know the Lock & Key game added some fun and laughter to the night.

We also really appreciate your constructive feedback. Balancing the game with allowing people enough uninterrupted time to chat is something we continually think about, and your suggestion of introducing small-group conversations before the game gets fully underway is an interesting idea that we'll certainly consider for future events.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, and we hope to see you again at another event soon!

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