This interview was originally published on the Guardian Soulmates blog. Click here to view it. 

Restaurants, cocktail bars, cinemas and theatres all make popular dating venues, but what if you’re looking for somewhere a little less conventional for your next date? Big Apple Brixton could be just the ticket for fun-loving Londoners this Christmas.

Parked on a rooftop in Brixton, south-west London, Big Apple Brixton is the latest pop-up creation from Brixton Rooftop, the team behind South Pole Saloon and Miami-themed Brixton Beach Boulevard. This winter, Brixton Rooftop has travelled up the east coast in time for the festive season, mentally transporting us back to New York in the ‘70s – the era that gave us Disco and Hip hop.

“Big trees, winter lights, the glitz and glam… everyone loves a bit of New York at Christmas,” says Sebastian Martison, director at Brixton Rooftop. “What we try to do is incorporate things people want to do – eat, drink and have fun – but also create that festival sort of feel,” he explains, jokingly describing Big Apple Brixton as a cooler alternative to Winter Wonderland. This seems like an understatement when you enter the all-encompassing space, boasting a festive dance floor, snug rooms and a sprinkling of bars and food carts.

“Is this the right vibe for a date, though?” you may well ask. “We often offer deals, like dining for two on a Saturday, so you can dine for two with a bottle of prosecco for £30…we’re always looking (to) offer sharer deals with cocktails too,” says Martison, who claims the venue is popular with couples on their first date as well as those on their fiftieth. “It’s a nice place to come (for a date). It’s informal and relaxed.”

Big Apple Brixton is open 6pm till midnight on Thursdays and Fridays, and 4pm till midnight on Saturdays, but it’s worth heading down early if you want to bag a table and avoid queuing too long for drinks.

If you’ve yet to meet your next date, however, fear not. You might even meet them on a night out at Big Apple Brixton? The venue will be hosting a packed programme of parties between now and the new year. “It’s certainly a place (where) you’re going to meet some interesting, like-minded people…whether you’re single and looking for love or in a couple…you will have a good time,” says Martison, who promises to have the venue decked out with mistletoe in time for our next visit.