It’s date night, and you want to plan something special.  A dinner and a movie are overdone, right?  Not necessarily.

We all have to eat, that’s a fact.  Some of us eat three times a day while others snack and graze all day long.  Have you ever tried to get something done, and you’re making good headway, but then you have to stop and eat?  Or have you ever been out running errands with the kids when one pipes up that they’re starving?

We all need to stop and eat sometime during the day.  It not only nourishes our bodies, but relaxes our minds as well, and if you’re with family or friends, a good meal can even be stimulating.  So when you’re trying to take that special person out for a special evening, don’t underestimate the power of a good meal!  It can set the tone for the rest of the night.

Here are a few tips, though, to help make sure your dining experience with that special someone goes off without a hitch.

Top 5 Ways to Make Sure Your Dinner Date Goes Smoothly

Pick a Unique or even Exotic Restaurant

Instead of taking your date to a chain restaurant (which is great most of the time because they have wide and varied menus with something to please even the most picky pallet), try a restaurant that is hidden, out-of-the-way, or even exotic.  If you live in or near a big city, these restaurants flourish as there are many ethnic groups sprinkled throughout large cities.  Such fares as Indian or Greek cuisine can be fun and stimulating both to the senses and the pallet. 

Choose a theme for the evening

What feeling do you want your date to come away with after their evening with you?  Do you want them to tell their friends that they had so much fun and never laughed so hard?  Or do you want them to call their mom and say it was so romantic – maybe this one is the one!

Choose your theme, then choose an appropriate restaurant.  If you choose fun, some comedy clubs serve dinner prior to the show, as do many theaters.   If you choose romance, you’ll want a lowly lit dining room, with candles, fresh flowers for a centerpiece, artwork on the walls, and beautifully starched white tablecloths.

Don’t underestimate the power of music.

Music sets a mood and a tone for your intimate dining experience.  Live music, unfortunately, is sometimes hard to find, especially on weeknights.  Choose music to go along with your theme.  A piano player gently stroking the ivories is very romantic, but a soloist on a guitar is intriguing and intimate.

If you can’t find live music in your area, music is often piped in at the better restaurants.  Yes, much of the music is generic, but sometimes you can find a warm and cozy dining room with mood-appropriate music piped throughout. 

Conversation over ambience

Sometimes you just want a nice quiet restaurant that makes you feel comfortable, serves great food, and makes good conversation possible.    After all, part of the whole dining experience is sharing that experience with others, and if that happens to be a special someone, all the better.  In this technological age of texting and emails, it’s important that we make the time to sit and chat with people, one on one, looking them in the eye, and sharing our thoughts, our dreams and adventures.

Special service for a special evening

We all have restaurants we frequent.  Sometimes we go because of the food, sometimes we know the owner or server, and sometimes it’s just convenient to our work or home.  In any event, you feel comfortable there, and the staff knows you and gives you a little bit better and more intimate service.  And when that happens, it not only makes you feel special, but it also makes you look special to others.  And if someone thinks you’re special, you must be, right?  It’s subliminal.

But whatever restaurant you choose, make sure you’ve dined there before and have had a good experience.  The cuisine can only carry a restaurant so far – the server and ambience of a particular dining establishment complete the experience.  So follow these tips and bon appetit!

Photo Credit: freecoupons.com

Amanda DiSilvestro is a professional blogger that writes on a variety of topics including New York City restaurants. She writes for Restaurants.com, a leading directory of restaurants.