Best First Date Restaurants in SF

In the last year I've gone on three very very bad first dates. In the interest of educating the public (guys), what are good places for them to take us gals in the city?
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Tracypie 2yrs+
My husband took me to First Crush for our first date. I also think Isa or Luisa's on Chestnut is super cute for a first date too. A16 is also nice and Chiaroscuro are also nice restaurants.

I also think that guys need to be creative. Maybe a first date is dinner and a movie or something low key. But a picnic in Napa or Sonoma or Angel Island is fun. A bike ride across the bridge or to Golden Gate Park is fun too. Seeing a show like Young Frankenstein or Wicked. I think it depends on their respective interests. But finding out what they enjoy and then planning a date around that is always a sure bet that there will be a second date.
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StephSF 2yrs+
Yeah, in the interest of creativity, I would almost say to steer clear of restaurants if you want to show originality. We live in basically a giant playground for adults. Tracy, your suggestions are superb. A sunset beachside picnic is a great one, too (one of the best dates of my life). There are definitely plenty of cool options in the city and the Bay Area.
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FlowerGirl 2yrs+
I love the nature type date for the third, fourth, or fifth date, but I'm not as much of a fan of it for the first date. Whenever a guy takes me somewhere a little out of the way on a a first date I get paranoid that I'm going to be chopped to bits and fed to the seagulls (I tend to attract weirdos as it is).

For a first date, I just hate it when there is no creativity or when we spend half the date somewhere where we can't even communicate. A first date should be a get to know you date, so it really should have something that tells me a little bit about the guy and should be somewhere where we can talk to each other. I hate the dinner and movie date for the first date (it is so safe and so boring).

Picnics are nice in a park like Washington Park or Dolores maybe. Somewhere where we can walk around and talk to each other afterwards. That's why North Beach is nice--you can drop into City Lights for bit, talk about authors you like, go to Vesuvio for a Guinness, or eat at Steps of Room (good call Tracypie--I'd almost forgotten). The talking and trying to figure the guy out is the best part of the first date when it goes well.

@Tracypie: Chiarscuro sounds nice just for the name. I will have to look that one up. Italian I assume from the name.
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Tracypie 2yrs+
@Flowergirl - yes Chiaroscuro is Italian.

You know what else I thought of. Cafe Jacqueline in North Beach on Grant. It's all souffles but it's so delicious. You do need a reservation. Savory or sweet, it's delicious. And Jacqueline is this little short french lady in the back with a basket of eggs making souffles. It's so cute! And the restaurant is really quaint for a date. The only downside is that 1 souffle is enough for 2 people, so it's nice to go with 4 people to try more things, but it is so romantic for a date.
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Its been a while since I've been on actual date, but back when I did go, I always like to go somewhere like a museum if there was a good exhibit. Like what they have at the Yerba Buena Gardens right now--this weird multi-media thing. I think it is a good way to spark conversation even if the exhibition turns out to be a bit of stinker--you can get someone talking, find out what they think about things.

On the other hand, it depends on who the date is. If you are going out with someone who isn't really into that sort of thing, this can really be a mood killer--so maybe more of a second date thing.
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FlowerGirl 2yrs+
@Tracypie: Cafe J sounds great! I'm sure that I've seen it but never been inside. Next time I get the chance I'll try to drop in.

@Owl: I totally agree about it depending on the type of person you're with. I would kind of like that as a date, but my friends would think it was a bit much and a bit like going to listen to a concert of elevator music.

That place that you mentioned in your other post sounded great--the one with the New Wave cinema on the wall. I think it is called Foreign Cinema.
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Sometimes the best place for a date is nice low key pub like the Chieftian that you mentioned in your other post is maybe the way to go for something like that. Definitely could be fun.

Movie is kind of dull, but if you go to a really cool theatre or to see an unusual movie that can add a little imagination.
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