I remember watching an episode of "Sex in the City" in which one of the female characters set two first dates for the same evening and she was complaining to one of her friends about not knowing how she was going to handle having two dinners in one night. None of the two guys she was going to go out with told her that they are going out eating, but she safely assumed that because that's pretty what every guy has been doing as long as she could remember going out on first dates. This sounds like a painfully predictable route for a guy to take on a first date. Not only that, but the importance of not making your first date a cliche is only one of the reasons why you should not go out to have dinner on a first date.

Although it might not make it or break it, having a meal during your first date and your initial interaction is not likely to be conducive to creating and developing attraction and it is usually a mistake. Instead of focusing on each other, you will be focusing on the plates of food that are in front of you.

Generally, people who have dinner sit relatively far from each other. That distance in addition to a possible self-consciousness of your dinner manners is likely to further contribute to the overall "stiffness" of the situation during those moments when you should be anything but stiff and when breaking the ice, and feeling and making the other person feel as comfortable as possible are so important.

Dinner on a first date is an unnecessary expense. Regardless of how well off you are financially, that kind of expense on a first date is premature.

Buying a woman a meal on a first date is also usually a mistake subtly communicates to her that you believe that you have to buy her time and attention with food and that it's not worth it being around you just for you, for who you are and for what you have to offer as a man - your character and personality. This is very unattractive because it conveys insecurity and lack of self-esteem, whether it's true or not. A woman should be out with you in order to enjoy your company, and if she isn't, you are both better off knowing it as soon as possible and not "clouding" the obvious with food.

Don't take me wrong. Dinner can be a very enjoyable, romantic first date or any date for that matter, but it's far better when it's shared with someone you know and where mutual interest and attraction have been established.

A cup of coffee or ice-cream and a walk are perfectly fine first date treats, and you should not go beyond that with a woman who you barely know on a first date. A simple, pressure-free activity will make both people feel more comfortable on a first date and will allow you to focus on getting to know each other.