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Fed up with swipes, screenshots and soul-sucking situationships, singles are deleting their dating apps — and heading straight for the castle.
Not a fairytale one, either.
The surprisingly steamy singles scene is unfolding at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Lyndhurst, NJ, where turkey legs, jousting matches and helmet-clad heartthrobs have become the hottest new alternative to Hinge.
Between sword fights and royal decrees at the family friendly dinner-and-tournament show (made famous after it was parodied in the 1996 Jim Carrey comedy “The Cable Guy”), flirty knights lock eyes with swooning women, toss roses into the crowd and crown lucky spectators the “Queen of the Tournament” — giving modern dating a medieval makeover.
Medieval Times has entertained over 72 million guests since opening its first North American castle in Florida in 1983, serving four-course feasts alongside jousting, sword fights and falconry.
Now, over 40 years later, it’s accidentally become one of the quirkiest dating escapes for hopeful singles.
The trend of finding a Prince Charming at the kitschy show started when internet star Brittany Broski gushed about “flirting with the knights at Medieval Times” as one of her “favorite things [to do]” on her wildly popular podcast, “The Broski Report.”
Since then, social media has been flooded with clips of women melting over the armored Casanovas, joking that the performing knights give better eye contact than men in Manhattan.
And it’s not just Jersey girls riding this romance revival. With 10 castle locations across the US and Canada, fans are hopping aboard the chivalry express — proving this isn’t a one-castle crush.
Madison Rae, 28, of Fort Myers, Florida, stitched her phone number into a handkerchief — with the intention of giving it to a knight — before attending an Orlando show.
“I was born and raised on Disney movies — young girls were promised knights in shining armor,” she told The Post. “Now we’ve grown up and have men on dating apps who can’t even plan a date after texting for two weeks. That’s hell on Earth.”
Rae’s verdict on Medieval Times? “A fun release that’s the complete opposite of reality. I think it’s like Hooters — but for women.”
“Watching men joust, fight and ride horses makes them hotter,” she admitted. “Dating apps made seeing an attractive face normal. If guys really want to stand out? I think men should wear more armor.”
For some, it’s ironic fun. For others, it’s a chivalry-fueled dopamine hit in a dating world that feels colder by the swipe.
What started as a girls’ night out for Nikki Sabate, 31, of Costa Mesa, California, turned into a full-blown knight crush.
“My favorite moment was when I made eye contact with our knight and he threw me a rose,” she told The Post. “You can’t beat the feeling of getting noticed by a handsome knight in a roaring crowd.”
She says the appeal goes deeper than just armored abs. And apparently, it helps if the guy’s holding a sword.
“Knights are portrayed as loyal, honorable and brave,” Sabate explained. “Dating today feels like you have to do all the legwork. A storybook knight would put more effort into it — and that’s why people enjoy the attention.”
Joanna Dumaguing, 24, of Los Angeles, who’s also yearning for romance and chivalry, agrees.
“There was one time where the knight kept pointing and winking specifically at me,” she told The Post.
“When I got a rose, it felt sweet and cute — very different from modern dating.”
For Caroline Griffin, 24, a physician’s assistant student in Glendale, Arizona, the thrill is simple: being chosen in real life.
“At Medieval Times, a guy rides by you, sees you, thinks you’re cute and gives you a rose,” she said. “It’s more fun than getting a dating app match. It feels more real.”
She added, “It’s nice to feel actively pursued in person — and not have to do all the work.”
Sadly, the knights were not allowed to chat with The Post, even after this reporter made the pilgrimage to Lyndhurst Castle and attempted a little medieval flirting to strike up a conversation.
Psychologists say it’s no accident that courtship is blowing up while dating apps crash and burn.
Flirting with knights at Medieval Times instead of languishing on dating apps “is embodied, playful and real,” Dr. Shahrzad Jalali, a licensed clinical psychologist, told The Post.
“There is no profile to curate, no algorithm deciding worth — just a shared moment where attention feels focused and human again.”
And the chivalry?
“Many women today are independent and capable, yet still long to feel cherished and pursued,” Jalali said. “Old-school chivalry speaks to that emotional longing without threatening autonomy.”
Dr. Courtney Cantrell, a licensed psychologist, said the fantasy taps straight into childhood fairytales — minus the dating app burnout.
“Little girls have been taught the age-old storyline of a knight in shining armor or a prince who will come and rescue you,” she told The Post.
“Dating apps create too many choices, attention but lack of commitment — causing burnout. An environment like Medieval Times creates a sense of safety because everyone is playing a role.”
