How to eat on a first date to make sure you get a second one

Avoid stringy food, be polite to the waiter – and don’t mock your date’s pronunciation of ‘quinoa’

What are the secrets to a successful dinner date? For an activity that, in basic terms, involves little more than sitting down to a meal and not mentioning your ex, there is a surprisingly extensive list of dos and don’ts.

“Never. Order. Spaghetti,” says my boyfriend’s mum, in the sort of tone you might reserve for a conversation with an the undertaker. “Plan conversation topics in advance,” screeches the part of my brain forever warped by 00s teen magazines’ edicts on “how to talk to lads”.

Related: Blind date: ‘We should have left the dessert and gone for more drinks’