How to Have a Perfect Dinner Date at Home: a Complete Guide

People are used to living online so much that even the evenings with their loved ones disappear into the virtual space without leaving a mark on the memory. It’s high time to forget about the Internet for a few hours and get a lot of fun by having an unusual dinner date at home.

Sometimes, it seems that only going to a restaurant or a zoo can create a special atmosphere, but your apartment can also be quite suitable for a good evening. Universal tips on dinner date ideas will help determine the concept, the atmosphere, the menu, and entertainment. They will precisely provide you with the recipe for the perfect date night dinner at home.

However, you need to decide what exactly the upcoming evening should look like. Do you want to arrange a traditional or an unusual date? For example, you may think about a thematic date in the style of the 20s or of your favorite movie. Based on the theme, you can choose music, menu, and even costumes. However, if you prefer classics, then go to a store and buy candles, strawberries in chocolate and go through the list.

Important components of an ideal dinner date at home

When you immerse yourself into searching for the most romantic dinner date ideas, don’t forget about the main components which help create a special atmosphere and get in the mood.

Lighting is of great importance

Soft lighting and pleasant aromas are particularly well suited to romance. If you are planning a romantic dinner and a movie date, which should end in the bathroom or in bed, be sure to stock up on candles. Red or lacteous candles, pea lights or beautiful lamps will be just perfect options. Besides, you can experiment and make an original composition of them. If it's too cold outside to say words of love under the stars, projectors similar to “The starry sky” will help you on this occasion.

You can light incense sticks, aroma lamps with ylang-ylang, cinnamon, patchouli or rosewood oils. All of them awaken sensuality and sexuality in one way or another. Nonetheless, you should better experiment with oils in advance because some kind of smell may be unpleasant for you personally.

Music has a strong power

Do not think that you can simply put on some music, which you have on Facebook or turn on the radio. You should select romantic or just easy-listening melodies in advance because when your favorite track of thrash metal sounds during your great speech, neither you nor your girlfriend will like it. Of course, you can find ready-made playlists with romantic or light jazz compositions, for example, on Apple music, but it is better to make your own one.

Dinner date ideas at home

When you are sorting through all the most unusual and awesome date night dinner ideas at home, try to focus on something more down-to-earth because the more exotic an idea is, the weirder it can turn out to be in real life. It’s better to choose some time-tested dinner date ideas at home, which you haven’t tried yet. If everything moves along smoothly, it would be for the best.

1. A heart-to-heart talk. This is classics of the genre. Light up candles, then pour your girlfriend a glass of wine, while your dinner is half cooked and talk about everything. Being in the merry-go-round of time, even close people who live together, don’t always have enough time to talk heart-to-heart due to different circumstance. So, an emotional and pleasant conversation can turn to be much more interesting than any movie.

2. Romantic astronomy. If both of you like the starry sky, and it seems to you really fascinating, then prepare a constellation map and a telescope. What can be more romantic than admiring the starts, being completely relaxed in a company of a beloved partner? Dream up, creating your own original combination of stars.

3. Evening for body and soul. Find a spa program for two, which you can implement at home. Buy some bubble bath, make an aroma massage with essential oils and delicious tea. What can be better after a hard work, especially when the most interesting things are still ahead?

4. Photostory. Arrange a creative home photo session, which will capture your feelings and a charming atmosphere forever. You will need a camera (or a smartphone with a good camera), a tripod and a creative mood.

5. Back in time. If you have been together for a long time, then you have a big emotional baggage and many things to remember. If you are married, you can watch once again your wedding video and photos, returning to one of the happiest days of your family. These beautiful, joyful moments will remind you how much you love each other and how wonderful it is to be together.

6. Another first date. Imagine that you are two strangers who met several hours ago and liked each other so much that decided to go out on a dinner date at home. Try not to break character for some time. You will be able to look at each other from another side.

7. Game night. If both of you are gamers, then you can play video games, being on opposing sides or creating a strong team of two fighters. Beating the exciting levels will add bright emotions to your dinner date.

8. Board games. If you like such kind of pastime, then you can start with the classic ones like chess, checkers or backgammon, and then go to Monopoly, Tower and other funny, mystical, serious or logical games.

9. Puzzles. If you don’t mind doing puzzles while drinking wine, then this can be a great option. Instead of classic puzzles with thousands of elements, you can try to assemble spherical or figured ones.

10. Themed dinner. The genius lies in simplicity. Try to cook a dish of French or Italian cuisine, and then eat a joint culinary masterpiece, drinking a glass of good wine.

Dinner date recipes

Joint cooking is a universal tool for getting closer. A survey, which has been conducted among Americans shows that most people believe that joint cooking dinner for a date unites the partners. About a thousand people have taken part in the study. About 88% of those who are in a serious relationship, 94% of those who are engaged, 89% of those who have recently married, and 84% of those who have been married for a long time say that cooking is one of the main activities in a couple. Even if you never held a knife in your hand, treat cooking as an exciting game. Just choose new and interesting dinner date recipes. However, they shouldn’t be too expensive and difficult, not to spoil the mood. Besides, do not dwell on the result, but enjoy the process.

Salmon with mushrooms and truffle oil

Mix one teaspoon of truffle oil with salt, red and black pepper and lemon juice. Rub the fish with this mixture. Grease the baking dish with olive oil. Put chopped mushrooms, finely chopped garlic in it, and then add leftover truffle oil and a little more olive, then salt and pepper. Put the pre-prepared fish on top. Bake the dish in the oven at 200 ° C for about 10–20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. Serve as a stand-alone dish or with baked potatoes. Besides, don’t forget about a glass of white wine in addition to this easy dinner date recipes for two.

Brie cheese baked with nuts and cranberry sauce

If you are cheese lovers, then you will surely appreciate this dish. Make a small hole in the crust of the cheese and place the cranberry sauce on top (the exact amount of sauce depends on the size of the brie). Place the cheese on a parchment baking sheet and bake the dish in the preheated oven at 220° until the cheese starts melting and bubbling. After taking the cheese out of the oven, decorate it with chopped nuts. Serve it with crackers or white bread, and a glass of white wine, of course. You can use the store cranberry sauce or cook it yourself.

Pears in wine

Thoroughly wash the pears, peel and cut in half, removing the seeds. Put the pears in the pan and cover them with red wine. Add sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add spices to the wine, reduce heat and cook until the pears are soft. Put them on a plate and keep the wine over medium heat until it gets thick. Later, you will be able to use this mixture as a sauce. Serve the pears with ice cream and warm wine sauce.

What to do after a dinner date?

Many people believe that dinner is the end of the evening, and it’s not necessary to come up with something else except for having sex. However, if you are going to have a perfect dinner date at home, don’t make it the last stop. Here are several options, which can come in handy when you are going to do something after a dinner date.

Make a snowman. If you live in the country with snowy winter, then making a snowman can become a great option. Joint creativity strengthens the relationship and balling up snow can be really funny. It is not necessary to make the classic version of a snowman with a carrot, you can show imagination and create a real masterpiece of snow.

Go for a walk. It seems banal, but you hardly walk together under the moon every day. So, it's time to fix it and admire the night city. Surely, you have not seen all the places in your hometown. You can visit an unfamiliar area and just explore it, you will surely find some new, interesting or beautiful places. Discovering new things together can be very romantic. However, you must be sure that you live in the city with a low level of criminal activity, otherwise, it can be quite dangerous.

Launch a flying lantern into the sky. If you buy a flying lantern in advance, you will be able to launch it from the roof of the skyscraper or just some elevation. By the way, you can make such a surprise at the end of the walk, when you find a suitable place for launching. Don’t forget to offer your sweetheart to make a wish. People say that a wish which is made at the time of total happiness will necessarily come true. This is one of the most romantic after dinner date ideas, which can complement any other activities.

Vary your intimate life. Everybody understands that a romantic dinner date at home will lead to sex. If you have been dating for a long time, and you are bored of classic positions, then you can get the most out of this dinner date, trying something new. Pay attention at erotic lingerie for your girlfriend, sex toys, role-playing games, new positions or types of intimacy. The more pleasure both of you will get, the better.

Dinner date outfits

Sometimes, it is difficult to resist the temptation to go home and put on your usual home clothes, which, one the one hand, are very comfortable, but on the other hand, are quite frayed and completely unromantic. Of course, when you choose dinner date outfit for home, it shouldn’t be a total look as if you are going to the posh restaurant. A dinner date at home is about comfort, first of all. Nonetheless, it’s worth defining the exclusivity of the moment. So, try to find the balance between the weekend outfit and what you usually wear at home. Simply put, choose a casual dinner date outfit. You can put on jeans, a T-shirt and a casual plaid shirt, for example.