First Date Etiquette

First Dates airs on RTE2 this week, where men and women are looking for love in coda eatery at The Gibson Hotel. Ahead of First Dates, we bring you 4 ?tips for dining out on your first date.

Choose a place where you can relax.

Overly fancy restaurants might not necessarily be impressive – you might cause your date to feel uncomfortable, or worry that they’re underdressed or ordering too expensively. Choose somewhere informal so you both feel relaxed.

If you’re not sure what to order – share.

If you’re unsure what to order, try a sharing plate. You both might not like everything but you’ll have fun trying it out and it offers some talking points too just in case conversation isn’t flowing! If your restaurant doesn’t offer sharing plates, order a couple of things to share, like sides, but nothing too messy – avoid chicken wings.

Go easy on the wine.

You’ll both be nervous, and that’s quite cute, but you don’t want to wake up and die of the fear the next morning when you remember all the reasons you screwed yourself from getting a second date. Pace yourself. Or at least get as equally drunk as your date.

Don’t ever order anything and say it’s because “it’s an aphrodisiac”.

Clams, mussels and caviar – order them if you like but please don’t ever claim you’ve ordered them for their aphrodisiac properties. Having something actually of interest to say about your food or restaurant choice is great and a good conversation filler if things start getting awkward. If you’re eating at coda eatery, just like they will in First Dates, for example,?here’s your First Date Interesting Nugget Of Information; “Coda is the Italian word for ?tail?. It’s also the term for the closing section of a musical composition, not to mention the ninth, and final, studio album by rock giants, Led Zeppelin.” Sapiosexuals will swoon.

By the way, if we were going to coda eatery on a first date, we’d order the crab cr’me br?l?e?to start, and a 10oz rib eye (minimum 28 days aged) or mac ‘n cheese with blue cheese and crispy panko crumbs.

First Dates airs on RTE2 from Thursday the 21st of April, and was filmed in coda eatery.