So you’ve probably seen dating advice from various dating sites on what is the best first date choice if you want to make sure there will be a second date. They will probably tell you to do activities where you can sit down and get to know each other. Many sites will tell you to avoid the dinner and a movie option because who really wants to watch someone they don’t know eat? And how are you supposed to get to know each other during a movie? Unless the only thing you want to know about your date is if they are obnoxious during the movie, you will learn next to nothing about them.
At UniformDating.com, we were curious to see what date options American’s prefer. In a poll, we asked American men and women what would be their first choice as a first date. You may be surprised by the answers!
So, what is the top choice for a first date? 37% of the American’s we polled prefer to take someone to a nice restaurant for dinner. This means you better hope that you don’t get spinach stuck in your teeth or eat seafood or garlic—especially if you want to have a good night kiss (or maybe more) at the end of the evening. You may be wondering which gender is most fond of going to Red Lobster or some swanky place. You may think more women chose dinner as a first date, but you would be wrong. Only 25% of women we asked said they would go to dinner. 56% of the men actually said they would like a dinner date.
With dinner aside, what other date ideas did our poll participants think were good options? Well, it is generally common knowledge that going out for an alcoholic beverage isn’t a great idea if you want to impress your date. This is reflected in our poll, as only 8% of the people we asked (6% of the women and 10% of the men) said they would like a quick drink after work as a good first date/meeting type of deal. Going out for coffee is a popular choice among Americans, as a total of 17% (16% of women and 17% of men) of those polled said they’d like to grab a quiet spot in a nice coffee shop and chat over a nice cup of java. Who could blame them? Coffee is something most people can enjoy!
When it comes to going to the movies, 17% of men agree that it is an acceptable first date, whereas only 6% of women agree. Perhaps men like the movies because they aren’t forced to come up with small talk?
Other first date ideas include live music or a comedy club, an outdoor activity, an activity like bowling or dancing, or going to a museum/gallery. Of the people we polled, only the women preferred these types of dates—none of the men said they would like to do any of these activities.
Needless to say, if you want to date an American man, you better be happy with a dinner date. If you’re lucky, he may surprise you and take you to a movie afterward.