Where to go on the first date
Sounds pretty simple right? Coffee, movie, dinner, there are plenty of options. Well yes that’s true, but your first date is a massive thing, most ‘relationships’, especially those initiated over the internet, do not get past the first date. The location of this date is absolutely critical!
Let’s go through each of the options:
Movie
For…
- Not much!
- If you’re shy, you can spend plenty of time with the other person without having to talk, but what’s the point?
Against…
- Way too long for a first date
- You can’t talk the whole time
Dinner
For…
- Choosing a good restaurant can make you look good
- You can chat over dinner, and when you run out of things to say just start eating!
- You can determine the length of the date as you go. Not interested in the other person? No dessert thanks! Like the other person? Yes we’ll have the dessert menu thanks. Yes we’ll have coffee thanks.
Against…
- If you don’t hit it off straight away, you’re stuck with the other person until you finish eating
Coffee
For…
- You can cut it short or drag it out depending on how things are going
- It’s very non-committal and informal
Against…
- There’s a lot of pressure to keep the conversation up, because without conversation you’re first date is going to die very quickly
Drinks
For…
- A bit of alcohol helps anyone loosen up
- As long as you pick a good venue, it’s a nice relaxing place to be, comfortable for both of you
- Free tip: Pick somewhere with good atmosphere but still quiet enough to chat
Against…
- Don’t be tempted into drinking too much, it never turns out well (unless you both drink too much, then it can turn out to be a fun night!)
- If you go somewhere that’s too loud you’ll have to shout all night, and that’s never cool
What else?
There are other options, and one of my best ever first dates (with someone met online) was actually a game of tennis! I know that sounds strange for a first date, but it worked a treat! When you want to talk you just approach the net and chat away, when you’ve run out of material you just go back to hitting the ball!
You need to be able to pull it off though, because if you’re rubbish on the court you’re going to make yourself look bad right from the start. If you’re dripping wet after fifteen minutes and can’t catch your breath, it’s unlikely your tennis partner is going to think much of you! If you can’t handle half an hour of mild tennis, how will you be able to handle a night of passion in the bedroom? Sounds crude perhaps, but you need to think of these things – your partner probably will be!
There are other options for first dates, but listed above are the most common ones. Personally I’d go with the option of a few quite drinks at a good venue. As I mentioned, you want somewhere with good atmosphere but not so loud that you’ll be shouting in your date’s ear all night. But if there’s an opportunity to do something different like tennis (or whatever other sport you have in common) I say go for it!
Tags: first date