Professional matchmaker for the 1% says coffee shops are the worst first date location

Stick to cocktail bars, say the experts

Some date locations are better than others (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Locking eyes with a potential partner over a steaming cup of cappuccino is a dating cliché.

But taking a romantic interest to a coffee shop on a first date will doom 99.9% of dates, according to a relationship guru.

“Location is key. No pubs and no coffee shops,” millionaire matchmaker Louanne Ward told Mail Online.

“If you get a second date after going for coffee with your date you are one in a million. It doesn’t normally happen.

“I have a strict no coffee date policy unless you have done something like walk along the beach beforehand.

Whole latte love? Not likely in a coffee shop. Try a cocktail bar instead, say the experts (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

“You need to have time to connect with the other person.”

Which day of the week you choose is also key, she said.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights should be avoided because they are too noisy and there is pressure to something afterwards, she says.

Monday through to Thursday are “prime date times”, she explained, followed by lunchtime on Saturday and Sunday.

And the perfect first date? “Cocktail dates are perfect because you can choose what you like together and there's a lot of interaction when you're choosing a cocktail. Also you order food that you share and this is really important."

Other basic dating etiquette rules should also be observed; guys should not be wearing more fragrance than their partner, turn up on time, and dress up rather than down.