Stumped over who pays? Eatery splits the bill
● How to ensure romance remains on the menu after that first date
An Edinburgh city restaurant is helping to remove the awkwardness from first dates by implementing a 21st century “split bill” arrangement in a bid to help possible longterm romances get off to the best start.
Blackwood’s Bar and Grill – part of the boutique hotel Nira Caledonia in Edinburgh’s New Town – is taking the pressure off couples on first dates by automatically handing them half of the bill each to avoid any awkward conversations about who is paying for what.
The team at Blackwood’s have described the step as a forward-thinking move to help blossoming relationships get off to the best possible start.
Garry Harding, restaurant manager at Blackwood’s, said: “When the bill arrives, it can cause some uncomfortable conversations between two people and we’ve made it our business to help get rid of that awkwardness.
“Our setting here at Nira Caledonia is very romantic and the menu at Blackwood’s really lends itself to sharing, so it just makes sense. We like to do things differently and there’s no other restaurant in the city offering anything like this.
“Likewise, it won’t be forced upon couples – we won’t be making any assumptions about whether it’s the first date or not.
“Guests need only mention it whilst making the booking either over the phone or online via the website.”
Located on Gloucester Place, the restaurant boasts a menu full of organic and locallysourced produce as well as dishes ideal for sharing.
Mr Harding said: “We encourage a shared dining experienceatblackwood’sand choose only the highest quality suppliers in our local area.”
Analysis compiled by Leeds University, which earlier this year analysed the dining habits of couples on the Channel 4 series First Dates, found scoring a second date could be predicted by a single act – and it was not the subject of splitting bills.
The findings showed an “overwhelming” correlation between sharing food and getting a second date, with dessert proving to be the most popular dish to split.
Psychologists compared 58 dates where couples shared food, with 49 where they did not.
Nearly all of those who tasted each other’s dishes wanted to go on a second date – contrasting with 43 per cent of those who did not share.
The Channel 4 reality series involves potential partners being set up on blind dates in a restaurant.
Researchers wrote in the journal Appetite: “One person feeding another may represent ‘courtship’ feedings that signals sexual interest.”