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Last Updated on March 12, 2025 by Alaina
Going on a date with a partner, spouse, or somebody you have just met can be a lot of fun. It’s good to get out of the house sometimes, especially to restaurants and bars, where you can eat, socialize, and drink. Choosing a restaurant for your date can be difficult, however.
If you are trying to find one to go to on an upcoming date, this post has you covered. Here are a few different considerations you need to make, so you can find the perfect place to spend an evening with somebody you care about.
Cuisine
The first consideration you need to make if you are planning a date is the cuisine. What do you and your date want to eat? Some of the best restaurants in Australia are, without a doubt, Brisbane Japanese restaurants, thanks to the growing number of ethnic Japanese living in the city.
Make sure that the cuisine you choose is one your date is equally interested in. Don’t pick a restaurant that specializes in a cuisine that only you like, because that won’t be very fun for your date and could ruin the night.
Reviews
The next thing you need to think about is a restaurant’s reviews. A restaurant’s reviews will tell you a lot about it and make it much easier for you to decide whether or not to eat there. The main place to see reviews is on Google Reviews or Trustpilot, but you can also see what people have to say about a restaurant by visiting its social media page and seeing what kind of comments customers are leaving. Social media comments can be just as informative as reviews are.
Prices
How much can you realistically afford to spend on a dinner date? If the answer is not a lot, you need to find a restaurant with prices that fall within your budget. You don’t necessarily have to skip a fancy restaurant altogether, since there are many restaurants with gourmet menus that charge fair prices.
The only thing is that if you want to save money, you may need to look harder to find an affordable restaurant. If the date is an important one, it might be worth splurging on an expensive dinner, since at least it shows you care enough to make an effort.
Service
Service is another important consideration. The last thing anybody wants is to go out for dinner and be served by sullen waiting staff. Rude waiting staff can really ruin your dining experience. Unfortunately, because many hospitality workers are underpaid and don’t receive sizable tips, they aren’t necessarily all enthusiastic about coming to work
If you want to be greeted with smiles, respect, and good manners, it is important that you find a restaurant with reviews specifically highlighting the good nature of its waiting staff. This is another reason why you need to read reviews before you make a decision about where to go and eat.
Popularity
Eating at popular restaurants comes with advantages and disadvantages. Popular restaurants are, obviously, popular for a reason. However, with popularity comes large volumes of foot traffic and customers. If you want to go out and eat at a popular restaurant, you need to take into consideration that you might end up struggling to find a table.
A good way to avoid being turned away or given an unappealing table is to visit on a weekday, when business is a little slower. Fridays and weekends are the worst times to visit popular restaurants, because they are always busy.
Seating
If you want a romantic dinner date, you should try and find a small, intimate restaurant, with a cosy interior and relaxed seating arrangements. The best way to get an idea of what a restaurant’s seating is like is to visit it yourself. You don’t necessarily have to eat in there to look at a restaurant’s interior–all you have to do is look through the window.
Alternatively, you can see if there are any pictures of the restaurant online. If you would like to sit outside or on a roof terrace, make sure the restaurant you plan on visiting can accommodate you before you make reservations.
Reservations
Some restaurants require patrons to make reservations first. If you are planning on visiting a new restaurant for the first time, it is a good idea to do some online digging first. The last thing you want is to turn up at your chosen restaurant and get turned away because you haven’t made a reservation. An online reservation will guarantee you a table.
Some restaurants allow you to choose your table on their website, and others give you what is available at the time of your arrival. If you choose a less busy time, you are more likely to get the best seat in the house.
Allergies
Allergies are a big consideration. Find out if the person you are going on a date with has any before you book a table at a restaurant. The worst thing you can do is take somebody with allergies to a restaurant where they specialize in the food they are allergic to. If, for example, your date is allergic to shellfish, taking them to a seafood restaurant is a very bad idea. You should also avoid restaurants that serve food you are allergic to for the same reasons.
Accessibility
Finally, think about accessibility. If you or your date suffers from mobility issues, you need to find a restaurant that can accommodate you. The worst thing you can do is go out for dinner somewhere where you or your date aren’t going to be able to get in because there isn’t any ramps or accessible doorways or elevators. To find out if a restaurant is accessible, get in touch with them over the phone and ask. Asking over the phone is the best way to get an answer and will prevent you from going somewhere where you aren’t going to be accommodated.
Going out on a date can be a lot of fun. It can also be stressful if you haven’t properly prepared. Use the guidance given above to help you find the perfect restaurant. The better the restaurant you eat out at is, the more fun you and your date are going to have.