Nearly 50% Of People Agree That This Is The Best Place To Go On A First Date

You've been chatting it up with a cutie you matched with on Hinge for weeks now, and it's finally time to take it to the next level: your first in-person date. Online dating is more popular than ever with over 270 million people on dating apps across the world, per Earth Web. But when it's time to put down the screen and meet face-to-face, things can get a bit more complicated.

First dates are all about making a good first impression, which explains why it can be so nerve wracking. You want to find a space that allows you to connect with your date and potentially discover a connection, so the place you pick for your first meeting really can make or break the date. Do you pick somewhere fun and fast-paced like a bowling alley, or is it too noisy? Will your date love that you're trendy and connected when you take them to that new rooftop nightclub or are they terrified of heights? Simply offering to go for coffee and finding out they're a tea drinker can start you off on the wrong foot.

With all these possibilities, we wanted to know what people really think the perfect first date looks like. A survey conducted by The List asked 573 people, "What is the best place to go for a first date?" The top choice with 280 votes won as the perfect first date adventure.

While you might expect people to opt for a casual drink at a bar or a trip to the movie theater, both options got less than 20% of the vote. And while a trip to an amusement park or two tickets to see the Yankees play seems thrilling, most people voted against it for a first date. According to The List's survey, 48.87% of people agree that the perfect backdrop for a first date is actually a restaurant.

A dinner date is the perfect way to get to know the person you've been messaging for a few days or casually flirting with around the office. Taking your date to a restaurant gives you an opportunity to sit intimately while still enjoying a public space, share conversation, and connect with your potential new partner. Vice reminds us that dinner dates can also illuminate important traits about your potential boo. Observing how they eat, how kind they are to your waiter, and how well they tip afterwards will help you decide if you want to share another meal with this person. After all, the average person spends 67 minutes a day eating – can you enjoy three square meals a day with a partner that chews way too loud? 

Sometimes, things are classic for a reason. While the typical dinner date might seem "overrated" compared to activities like escape rooms and axe throwing, it has never gone out of style. You also get to flex your reservation game and show off your unique taste by taking your date to a cool new tapas restaurant. The possibility of touching hands across the table or snuggling closer in the booth grows stronger from appetizers to dessert.

And if the date goes sideways or you two just aren't clicking, a simple, "No dessert menu for us, thank you," will get the job done. Not every first date leads to a second: according to a global dating poll by Time Out, only 40% of first dates end with plans for a second date. When you're on a dinner date, you won't be trapped watching a two hour movie or committing to a whole 18 rounds of mini golf if the two of you don't have that witty connection in person like you did over Snapchat. Enjoy your meal and stay present in the moment, and try not to be so anxious about getting a second date that you forget to enjoy your first one.