Dinner Date Trends
of First Dates

It's Just Lunch, the premiere dating service for busy professionals with 90 locations worldwide, conducted a survey of 3,597 singles and found that single men are chivalrous when it comes to dating; 82% of single men say that the man always pays on a first date when set up by friends.

However, 46% of single women believe that the bill should be split evenly between the two parties.

More Dating trends with dining:

• When the waiter comes to the table to take their drink order and their date says "I don't drink," 62% of single men will order water or soda and skip the alcoholic beverage. Single women don't care if their date doesn't drink, but it doesn't mean they can't; 41% of single women will order a glass of wine, even if their date orders only water.
• 32% of single men would ignore food stuck in their date's teeth; however 55% of single women would point out discreetly to their date that they had something in their teeth
• 80% of singles converse about their favorite cuisine prior to meeting for a first date
• Top cuisine choices for a first date-46% Italian, 19% Steakhouse, 16% Japanese, 11% Mexican, 8% French
• Red or white? While men generally prefer a Merlot, 58% of single men will skip red and order a bottle of Chardonnay if white wine is their date's preference
• 75% of single women would skip sharing a bottle when wine preferences differ from their date and insist they each get their own glass
• Time for a second date together? 82% of single men would like to pick their date up, while 46% of single women prefer to meet at the restaurant
• So, what do singles do when a steak ordered medium comes out well done? 39% of single men could care less and eat the meat; 70% of single women would politely mention to the waiter that her steak wasn't prepared to her liking and ask for a new one.

• The amount tipped on a date almost certainly will affect future dates. 61% of single women would surmise their date is cheap and not see them again if they tipped only 10%, while 24% of single men would just think that their date is bad at math.

More information and tips on dating can be found in the The It's Just Lunch Guide to Dating in America (It's Just Lunch!) and The It's Just Lunch Guide to Dating in Cleveland (It's Just Lunch).