How To Have A Great Date Witout Breaking Your Budget
On the one hand, he wants to make a nice impression. On the other, he doesn’t want to overdo it in case things don’t work out between them and he realizes he was better off in a singles bar that night.
Still, you want it to be a good experience one that – no matter how it works out in the end – leaves a good taste in both of your mouths, so to speak. So here’s PubClub.com’s top 5 tips for choosing that perfect restaurant that fills all your needs.
1.) Choose A Nice Place With Entree Prices In The $15-25 Range
It’s a first date so you don’t want to spend a fortune. But you don’t want to come across as cheap, either. Pick a place with good food and drinks with entrees priced in the $15-25 range. This is not the time to splurge; first dates are littered with guys who spent a bunch of money on girls that didn’t work out, and they were mad for weeks afterward about it.
2.) Choose A Place That Is Romantic But Not TOO Romantic
You want to pick a place that’s nice but not a place that is so nice you’re it’s as if you are on an important wedding anniversary. A super-quite restaurant where you are surrounded by soft-speaking couples is to be avoided.
If you live by the water, make it one of those medium-priced places over the ocean, lake or river where you know the food and atmosphere is good, but not one of the four- or five-star spots. In other words, try and avoid the linen table cloth places.
If you are not by the water, your city or town has several of these “above medium” restaurants with a classy environment that’s not too over the top.
3.) Choose A Restaurant She Does Not Frequently Visit
You want to be unique, a leader not a follower. Do a little research ahead of time and find out where she maybe always wanted to go but hasn’t been to before, or scout out a few off-the-beaten-path places.
Two examples are a cozy restaurant on a side street or that nice family-run local spot that won’t be overly busy on that night. And that won’t jack up the prices just because it’s Valentine’s Day.
4.) When In Doubt, Go Italian
If you’re curious about what type of restaurant to choose then choose Italian.
You pretty much can’t go wrong with an Italian restaurant. Most girls like pasta and whatever they order to go on the pasta. This covers your bases if you are not sure of what kind of food she likes (or, worse, yet, can’t stand). You’re even safe if she surprises you on the spot and springs it on you that she’s a vegetarian.
Italian restaurants have the added advantage in that most are cozy and the decor perfectly fits the #1 criteria. Plus, Italian restaurants have a lot of wine, and that’s perfect for when the date is going well or is a complete disaster.
5.) Make Sure There Is No Waiting For A Table
You don’t want to go to a place where you have to wait in a line to get seated. Get this scouted out in advance, either by choosing an off-the-beaten-path place or by going in and making a reservation in person; this is far better than doing it over the phone, even if you’re a fairly regular customer.
Nothing will turn off a girl and ruin a date faster than having to wait for a table. She will lose respect for you (and rightfully so) and will spend the rest of the evening thinking about this rather than focusing on your better attributes.
Also, have a backup plan in place. Maybe the staff gets suddenly overwhelmed and can’t handle an unexpected rush of customers.
If you’ve got a secondary place in mind – ideally just a short stroll away from your first choice – then you’ve made major brownie points before you’ve finished your first drink.
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