Dating Tips | 5 Dinner Date Etiquettes Worth Remembering

Read our dating tips to find out how to properly behave during a date. | Photo loly galina on Unsplash

As far as dating tips go, one of the oldest tricks in the book and probably the most basic dating tips there is taking a girl out to dinner. Dinner at a restaurant is practically a prerequisite for any kind of romantic relationship.

The main reason why couples prefer dinner dates is because it is the perfect way to get to know a potential partner for the first time. The first dinner date is especially crucial because you want to make a good first impression. Hence, you have to be on your best behavior.

That means don’t talk about yourself too much, listen to her every once in a while, and just be considerate. But if you’ve been out of the dating scene for some time, there might be some date etiquette rules you aren’t familiar with, such as:

• Wear a jacket or blazer

This is mostly for your benefit than hers. What you wear can impact her impression of you. One way to cut an imposing figure is to emphasize the v-shape of your upper body, which you can achieve with the right jacket.

Your jacket can also come in handy when your date feels cold. We’re pretty sure you’ve seen those romantic movie scenes where the guy puts his jacket over his girl’s shivering shoulders.

• Limit yourself to two cocktails

One of the best compliments you can give your date is to pay attention to her. And how do you expect to do that if you’re drunk? Even if you handle liquor pretty well, downing three or more drinks won’t impress her at all. It might make her think you don’t have self-control when it comes to drinks. For that reason alone, it’s probably better not to drink too much.

• Eat slower

Having some of the most scrumptious meals might tempt you to just eat it straight away. But remember that you are on a date, so better slow down when you eat. That way you can listen and get to know her.

Also, you get to savor the food better when you eat slowly. Besides, what’s the rush? You have the rest of the night to enjoy the food, so you might as well enjoy it.

• Foot the bill

There are still parts of the world that conform to typical gender norms. So in case you are dating a Latina, you’ll have to foot the bill because that’s what’s expected in their culture.

But not all Latinas are really that traditional. You might encounter some Latinas who will offer to split the bill. If you ever find yourself in that kind of situation, we still recommend that you insist in picking up the tab because that’s what a true gentleman would do.

And if you’re slick, you can even tell her that she can just get the next one if she feels so obliged. That way you’re also subtly implying that you’re looking forward to a second date.

• Listen to her

This is probably the most important thing to do. When you pay attention to her, you get to know her more. And don’t just listen to the things she says.

You can also tell a lot about a person by what she does. How does she treat the service staff? How does she behave when things go wrong? All these can reveal so much about her personality.

All in all, just be a true gentleman and treat her right. These dating tips would help make a great impression on her enough to agree to a second or even a third date.