Date Supper Club Review
FilmJuiceDating writer, Amy Fields, 30, went along to Date Supper Club to see if can get to cop off with a hot food fanatic, or failing that, have a good feed.
How many times has a well-meaning friend or family member hooked you up with a blind date only to find yourself face-to-face with the not quite so “Oh, I know that he/ she is so right for you” not quite living up to its expectations? If blind dates fill you with dread, and your pool of single friends has all but dried up, Date Supper Club just might be the answer. Quite simply, it’s Blind Dating en-masse.
Yes, this unique dating event is a breath of fresh air compared to the rest, doing exactly what it says on the tin; not only do you get a room full of gorgeous, professional singles (no word of a lie!) that are vetted by the staff, you get to feast in some of London’s finest restaurants. And you don’t have to break the bank to do so, as tickets are reasonably priced.
Date Supper Club builds up the excitement from the off! After registering for a Blind Date Supper, I am soon in receipt of a letter informing that the details of a secret location will be sent to me one week beforehand. And it does not disappoint. The quaint, low-lit Italian restaurant based in Fulham is perfect for the occasion.
Nervous, I got myself there early with the intention of slinking through the door, grabbing a drink and waiting in the shadows until more guests arrived. Not one for one-to-one blind dates, let alone 20 men all in one go, not to mention battling with 20 lovely ladies, my plan was this: if they turned out to be a bunch of social misfits, I’m out of there and no-one would be the wiser.
Hey, don’t hate me for being honest. You were thinking it too. Well, as it so happens, no such luck. No sooner than I make it through the door, one of the charismatic female Date Supper Club hosts, whisks me over to the bar. I am about to protest that I had only popped in for a take out, when she plonks me next to Kieren, a 37 year old, 6 ft 2 City boy who was surprised as I was for the swift introduction. Perhaps lost for words, or taking pity on me (my face frozen in a startled expression), he offered me a drink, his voice saturated with a deep, sexy Irish accent. Hell, yeah. This guy is cute.
As the other guests arrived, and allayed any fears of the living dead, not that I was moving away from Kieren any time soon, the restaurant became abuzz with chatter and levity. If anyone was nervous, they weren’t showing it. Props to the Date Supper Club staff, who quickly created an atmosphere as if in a room full of old friends. I was soon to be prized away from the city boy who I had already earmarked to be the father of my children and we were seated. There were several tables prepared for supper, and of different sizes, with one scary one for just two people! The women were placed to sit with their backs to the wall and the men were invited to place themselves opposite, randomly. We were then handed a response sheet to rate our dates.
Starters were served, during which, we had to get to know our table companions. I was on a table of six. My constant and female allies were Kirsty, 32, a demure jeweller and Maddie, 37, a bubbly charity fundraiser. Sitting opposite were Sol, 42, an assured advertising director, Michael, 36, a surgeon (swoon – think Doctor Kildare) and Callum, 31, a cheeky northern hairdresser who had recently moved down to London. And there’s me thinking that things couldn’t get any better. And then it was onto the main course which found me opposite John, 30, a filmmaker who was flanked by Rob, a 38 year old retail manager and Stephen, 39, a TV soap clothes stylist who I ended up chatting to, whilst the other four seemed somewhat engaged in each other. Admittedly, I was more interested in the soap’s story line than him – not that he seemed to mind. I later saw him swap digits with a dusky chick, a tad more stylish than myself, it has to be said.
And finally, it’s dessert – and the tasty Kieren on my table. I tried to play it calm as much as one could whilst wolfing down the delicious hot chocolate pudding and homemade custard. I hardly noticed the other two new guests on the table. I had already primed the girls about my intentions and they magnanimously entertained the men whilst I dug my claws into my amour. High on sugar, I handed him my business card. He promised to call. Needless to say, this stage of the evening ended all too quickly for my liking and we were ushered back into the restaurant bar to mingle with anyone that we had not had a chance to talk to. A few of the guests exchanged telephone numbers, whilst the more reserved handed some response sheets to the staff to be forwarded to potential dates the following day.
Overall, Date Supper Club is a fun evening out to find a date, make new friends and eat good food. It gets a stomping 10/10 from me. Will I go again? Well that depends upon whether a certain someone gives me a call.
To find out more about Date Supper Club, go here.
