We’ve been busy speaking to some of the most influential bloggers in the UK, asking them for their ‘Dating Essentials‘ tips. We’ll be sharing their advice with you over the next few weeks, and to kick it all off allow us to introduce Latoyah Egerton, creator of Sugar Pink Food…

A first date is always an absolute minefield of emotions, nervous anticipation, and loaded with expectancy. There always seems to be so much pressure on what to wear, will they like me, will they notice the giant spot that rather inconveniently popped up the night before, just to spite me!!  With all of this going through your head, simple things seem to fall by the wayside. Being a food obsessive I think that the perfect first date is to go for a nice meal, and no matter where you are in the country there is always a nice restaurant not too far away. I have compiled my top 5 tips for your first dinner date to help make sure that, if you like the person, date number 2 is a sure fire thing!

Choose the venue carefully

If you are the one that is doing the choosing, then I advise it is best to go somewhere that you have eaten before and know that you can trust. There is nothing worse than having a disappointing meal, except having a disappointing meal when you are trying to make a good impression on someone!  I think that you should also choose somewhere that is reasonably priced, whether you are the one paying or you are splitting the bill. There is no guarantee that the date will go well, and you don’t want to be out of pocket and without date number 2! Studies have shown that Italian is the best option for a date, so places like Prezzo, Ask Italian, Zizzis or even the local one down the road. If you are not the one choosing the venue, make sure that you make suggestions or comments of places that you like or the type of food that you enjoy eating so that you can enjoy the food as much as possible, even if the company isn’t up to much!

Don’t bite off more than you can chew and don’t order a salad

As a girl it is all too tempting to order the salad to appear healthy and make it seem as though you like to take care of yourself. This is rubbish. Firstly, a guy won’t think that about you, and secondly you know full well that it isn’t really what you want!  There is no guarantee that the date will go well, so you should at least enjoy your food! Guys – while we understand that you want to assert you manliness and impress us in the process, taking on a Man v Food challenge is not sexy, save that for at least a few dates down the line. A first date should be used for getting to know each other, not shoveling as much food in your mouth as is humanly possible and then feeling sick.

Don’t eat too fast

Eating with the speed of an industrial strength vacuum cleaner is definitely not sexy. I know that sometimes nerves mean that you eat or speak faster than you usually would, but take your time. Pause between mouthfuls to ask your date a question, keep the conversation going an avoid any awkward silences or pauses. Questions like “How is your meal?“, or “Is that as nice as it smells?” are always a good conversation opener, but be careful that you don’t turn the date into a job interview – nobody likes being interrogated!

Don’t drink too much

Having an embarrassingly drunken date is not only a turn off, but it can be a complete nightmare to have to deal with as well. Again, the danger with first dates is to drink to overcome your nerves and fill a little more confident. Set yourself a limit on how many alcoholic drinks you can have and make sure you stick to it. Alcohol is normally the start of some very awkward situations, and while this may be a funny story to tell any possible grandkids, you also want to make sure that you don’t put them off you so severely that you never want to hear from them again!

Don’t refuse a desert

If your date asks for a desert or indicates that they want a desert, go with it. They won’t offer unless they think the date is going well and want to spend more time in your company; this is always a great sign. If you don’t feel that hungry after your meal, you could always suggest sharing one.

So there you have it, Just Singles Dinner Date Dating Essentials courtesy of Latoyah Egerton.  What do you think? Let us know below!

Until next time,

The Just Singles Team.

About the author…

I am Latoyah and run my food blog Sugar Pink Food with the help of my boyfriend Nick. I am in a happy relationship now, but have to say that this hasn’t always been the case, and I have kissed a few frogs before meeting my prince! My website is an eclectic mix of recipes, reviews and the ramblings of a food lover and I am passionate about creating, eating and discussing all things food related, whether it is creating a meal at home or choosing the best places to eat out.