Love & Sex 2nd November 2016 by Victoria Stokes

An Expert Says This Is The Worst Place To Take A First Date And We’re Inclined To Agree

We'll be having none of that, thanks.

Couple on a first date

You’ve been texting for a while now and it’s finally time to lock in that crucial first meet up with your potential date, but where do you go?

Well, if recent research is anything to go by then you’ll likely head off to your local cafe for chats over coffee for date numero uno.

And why wouldn’t you? It’s casual, it’s comfy, and well, who doesn’t love a cappuccino, right?

But while our love for coffee is certainly unrivalled, catching up over a cuppa might not be the best way to meet a potential new partner, at least according to one professional matchmaker.

In fact, she even goes as far to say that coffee dates are pretty much doomed to failure.

“Location is key. No pubs and no coffee shops,” Millionaire Matchmaker Louanne Ward tells the Mail Online. “If you get a second date after going for coffee with your date you are one in a million. It doesn’t normally happen.”

Girl and a guy on a date

Right, so with both coffee dates and pub meet ups ruled out, what does that leave you with?

Well, the good news is that Louanne suggests three date ideas that we’re very much on board with: picnics, a walk along the beach and cocktails.

“’I have a strict no coffee date policy unless you have done something like walk along the beach beforehand,” she explains. “You need to have time to connect with the person.”

“Sometimes the most simple dates are the best dates. What woman doesn’t love it when a man has a bottle of bubbles, some cheese and crackers and a punnet of strawberries in a picnic basket and a blanket to watch the sun go down?” she asks.

“Cocktail dates are perfect because you can choose what you like together and there’s a lot of interaction when you’re choosing a cocktail. Also you order food that you share and this is really important.”

It’s not just location that’s important either. Louanne says timing is crucial too. “Monday – Thursday are prime date times or Saturday – Sunday lunches, forget the other times,” she advises.

So to recap then, that’s no coffee catch ups, especially on Fridays or Saturday and Sunday nights. Noted.

Ultimately though, we’ll be taking Louanne’s advice with a pinch of salt. After all, it’s all about the chemistry you share, whether you first lock eyes in the pub, at a cafe or in the park, right?

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