Recently one of the staff at my work asked me for romantic advice – because I am so clearly great with all the ladies! He wanted to take a girl out for Valentine’s Day and asked me ‘What do girls like to do?’. I responded to this by telling him that wasn’t the question to be asking. What he needed to think about was what does that girl like to do? Yes, pretty much everyone likes dinner and a movie or something equally generic but it’s not very original and if you’re wanting to really wow that special someone then you need to think about them and only them.
- Be specific
I am presuming here that the person you are taking out is the person you want to take out and not just someone random because you couldn’t get anyone better. As such, you should know at least something about them. Work with that. When I asked the guy at work what his love interest liked he gave me a whole list of things that she enjoyed. So I gave him suggestions of things she might like to do based on those interests – Kew Gardens (for her interest in plants and flowers), a Japanese restaurant (for her love of Japan) and a gift of watercolour pencils and a sketch pad (for her love of painting). You don’t have to cover every single thing they have ever told you at once – hopefully there’ll be more dates for that – but it’s good to start off with something specific. Everyone wants to feel special.
- Do something they enjoy (even if you don’t necessarily agree)
This may seem obvious, of course you’ll do something they’ll enjoy, you don’t want the date to suck, right? But some people are hesitant to try new things, even though their date tells them it’s great. Branch out a bit. If your date likes it, and you like them, why not give it a shot? This evening, in fact, I took a (vegan) girl out to a vegan buffet restaurant and, despite being a meat eater myself, I really enjoyed my meal. I would never have chosen that restaurant myself but it was nice to take her somewhere she would enjoy, specifically chosen for her, rather than choosing something I knew I’d like, and she’d probably enjoy.
- It doesn’t have to cost and arm and a leg
There are many free, or cheap, things to do on a date. You shouldn’t need to splash the cash to get someone to like you (and if you do, find someone else!). A lot of free or cheap activities are actually extremely fun, especially when you’re with the right person. Living in London there are loads of things to do for free, I recently took a girl to the Natural History Museum because she loves learning about all kinds of different things. There will be things like this wherever you’re living. Even if you just go for a romantic stroll, maybe you live by the sea or a river. Have a good chat with your date without anything else getting in the way. It’s about spending time with them, not spending all your money.
- Sometimes cliche is ok
I have told you to do something your date will enjoy, that can include cliche date ideas if that’s what they’d like. Maybe there’s a new film they’re dying to see but haven’t found the time to go. Or maybe there’s a new restaurant that’s just opened and they want to try. Perhaps you’re with someone new to your city and you can give them a tour, I’ve taken girls on the London Eye before and you can’t get much more cliche than that! That doesn’t mean you still shouldn’t think outside the box. Instead of a tourist tour, take them on a personal tour of places that mean something to you. Or show them a new side to an area they already know, like alpaca trails in Derbyshire. Show that you have put some thought into the date.
- Food is (mostly) always a good idea
I feel like my final point is my most important, or maybe that’s just for me! Food never goes amiss. Mostly. It maybe cliche to give a box of chocolates but most people I know love chocolate. Or maybe give them a gift of something they’d like more. For me, I’m partial to a good donut. 
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