Tips for a successful dinner date

Dinner with someone new could be the start of a great relationship. It could also be a total disaster. Find out how to organise the perfect dinner date in the first of a series of features on fun, exciting and unusual dating from Badoo.

Going out for dinner is probably the most popular activity in the history of dating. An intimate candlelit table for two, locking gazes with your companion over the starters, as a gypsy violinist serenades you with a screechy cover of ‘Don’t You Want Me’ (okay, maybe not that last bit).

Perhaps dinner dates are so popular because a good one can be the start of a beautiful relationship.. But just remember that a bad one can put an end to things before they get started, and you could just end up a story about ‘this terrible dinner date I had once’.

You can’t do anything about random disasters – a fly in the soup, the sprinklers going off, or just not connecting. However there are plenty of things you can do to at balance everything in your favour…

Starters

If you’re the one doing the asking, take charge and decide on the restaurant, but do make sure you find out what the other person likes to eat first. Particularly if they have any allergies. Don’t be afraid to suggest somewhere you love, if you’re sure they’ll like it, and especially if the staff knows your name. Also, if you’re dating someone from a different country, why not introduce them to your national cuisine?

If you’re not sure how posh to go when choosing the restaurant, work out what sort of place you think your date will like, then go one posher. That’s not to say you always need to go flashy. Some of the most romantic moments in history have been had while eating fish and chips in the rain in a bus shelter in Blackpool. Those are spontaneous though. For a first date, get yourself on safe ground.

Food for thought

When looking at the menu, chat with your date and find out what they’re thinking of getting. You don’t have to get the same thing, but try to get something in the same price range – if your date has just ordered the rib-eye, getting a salad might make them feel greedy. Sharing dishes, such as tapas, mezze or sushi are a great idea, as they’re fun and you both get to try a bit of everything.

If one of you eats garlic or anything else strong-tasting like curry, you should both eat it (especially if you’re hoping to get invited home later on). The same applies to messy foods like spaghetti or lobster. They can make for a great fun meal, but you don’t to be the only one leaving with bits of lobster shell in your hair. Also avoid messy foods if your date is wearing their best Armani – a dry- cleaning bill can really put a dent in a friendship.

High-quality service

If you’re ordering, be careful about showboating or pretending you know more than you do about the food – bored waiters love nothing more than taking show-offs down a peg or two. Ordering in the right language will make you look very cool though, if you think you can pull it off.

Also, stay cool and remain polite, whatever happens. If the food’s cold or the wine’s crap, send it back by all means, but do it nicely, and your date will be impressed by your style and patience. And remember to tip - people who are generous in restaurants are generous in relationships as well.

Most importantly, if you expect this to be just the start of an amazing evening, try not to get too
hammered, or eat so much food that you just want to go to sleep. But most of all, have fun!