There are many awkward moments in the early days of dating.
From the heart stopping moment you don't recognise them as they look way older than their dating picture (and not a thing like Bradley Cooper goddammit) to the moment the waiter slides the silver platter with the bill between you both.
Research from restaurant booking website Bookatable shows that men are still very much from Mars and women from Venus!
Men take the lead in making dinner reservations
As a bit of a traditionalist I was pleased to see that according to booking data, in 2014, over half of Valentine's dinner dates were booked by men. Taking the lead on arrangements, it would seem many men are hoping to get lucky - even on a first date - with a fifth admitting they check where the nearest hotel is to a restaurant before going on a date. While over a third of men claim they would be more willing to splash out on a big meal if they were guaranteed to get lucky afterwards, compared to just 15 per cent of women who said the same. Now who says romance is dead?!
Should a guy have to pay on a date?
In an age where chivalry is supposed to be dead, a quarter of women said the most awkward moment on a date is when the waiter brings the bill.
A friend told me that on a recent date the guy stared so long and hard at the bill that she offered to pay for it all, anything to break the silence!
Most women think the guy should be picking up the tab whilst according to the ideals of an equal society, over half of men claim otherwise, suggesting that women should share the responsibility of splitting the bill. Should we be going dutch on a date?
Personally I think splitting the bill after dinner makes the date feel more like a catch up with friends than it does a romantic dinner for two. Don't end up in the 'friend zone' before you've even got started! I often recommend to clients that they can always take turns - perhaps the guy gets dinner and the woman pays for drinks afterwards? There's a way around it without getting the calculator out.
The quickest way to a woman's heart is by being a gentleman
Yes we appreciate men taking the lead and if they pay for dinner, wonderful. But what women really want is a man to simply to act like a gentleman which something one in ten male respondents mistakenly think isn't a valued quality anymore.
Being a gentleman isn't about money. It's about doing those little things that women notice - holding the door open, taking her coat, making sure she's comfortable and holding an umbrella for her. Simply making a reservation for dinner shows you've thought about it and won't end up queuing at Nandos! Yes it's all a bit cheesy but if you can't be cheesy in love when can you?