A second date should be a fun occasion for both of you. After all, you’ve got that difficult first date out of the way when you are weighing each other up and trying to put your best self forward. Now you have established that you both like each other enough to take it to a second date.
This should be a much less stressful event, but one of the biggest challenges is what you should actually do for your follow up act. First dates generally mean something low key such as a coffee or drink in a bar, so you can bail without too much pain if there are too many alarm bells ringing in your head.
A second date is more of a commitment and takes some thought. You’ve already asked each other those standard ‘getting to know you’ questions, but are maybe not ready for deep and meaningful conversations about the future. Therefore you want to do something that you both love, and will help to supply topics of conversation.
This could be something simple based on your shared interests, such as a countryside walk and picnic, if the weather is good enough. If you are both culture vultures, you could visit a gallery, or go to a museum or a concert. You can always talk about the event afterwards if the conversation dries up.
However, there’s really nothing like sharing good food and your favourite tipple in a great restaurant to really help you relax and bond with someone. If you are looking for something a little off the beaten path, why not consider a tapas bar.
This gives you the chance to order several small serving plates of delicious Spanish dishes, rather than commit to a single meal choice. It’s a fun and informal way to eat together, and you have a ready made topic of conversation in discussing each dish on the table. The food goes perfectly with any drink, from cocktails to beer and wine.
Tapas bars are traditionally full of ambient Spanish guitar music, and if you time it right, you might even be lucky enough to be treated to a live performance. There’s nothing like the heady mix of spicy smells and ambient guitar vibes to get you in the happy and relaxed holiday mood.
Breaking bread with someone is a time-honoured way of building up intimacy and trust, as it taps into our most primal human needs of nutrition and companionship. In a more formal dining atmosphere, this bond might be more difficult to achieve as you will probably be dressed to impress and on your best behaviour.
Therefore choosing a more laid back restaurant where you can both be your more authentic selves is a great choice for a second date. If your date is open to sharing and lets you eat the biggest portion of your favourite dishes, then that is definitely a green flag for the blossoming of a happy new relationship!
If you are looking for a Spanish restaurant in Islington, please get in touch today.