Eating out when dating is a thrill and can be very romantic however choosing the wrong foods can dampen the night and cause awkwardness.  Dining whilst dating can be a forecast into the future of your date’s habits and foibles and yours as well.
 
The Lady and the Tramp and Pretty Woman
Cast your mind to the Disney movie cartoon the Lady and the Tramp, in the famous scene where two dogs eat a sloppy spaghetti dish end up kissing! Romantic-yes, messy-yes.  How about the famous scene in Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts attempts to wrestle with that slippery oyster!  We have all been there.  Here are some points in maintaining elegance during your date night.
 
Dining Etiquette Don’ts
Your date has stated they will pay for the meal, nice one.  This event is not the place to be choosing foods that you've never heard of or eaten before.  Leaving plates full of uneaten food may not impress your date and is a waste of their hard-earned cash.  Don't start drinking too much, too soon.  You could be revealing too much about yourself before you know it or can recall.  Order lighter drinks first, whilst nibbling on finger foods moving onto wines and water for the main course.
 
Your date night is not the place to start using chopsticks if you have never used them before or if you're freshly manicured and you're about to eat a Middle Eastern dish with your fingers, never mind knowing which hand to use.  Skip the coffee course unless you have a strong menthol solution to combat ‘coffee breath’.   Pick herbal teas or an aperitif to end the night.
 
Dining Etiquette Do’s
Avoid messy foods that may stain your clothing and have you spending more time in the restroom than with your date these include most kinds of saucy pasta and curries.  Choose foods that are easy to eat and you're able to control food with your fork and knife, this will help you concentrate on the things that matter.  Easy to eat cuisines such as chicken parmigiana, risotto or salads.
 
Seafood is a chic item to order, even better when your date is paying!  Opt for, if you are feeling confident eating oysters using a seafood fork or splicing a boned fish with a fish knife.  Select foods that won’t upset your stomach and make you feel uncomfortable and shift your focus off your date.  Avoid overly creamy items, meat cooked rare or tartare, fermented vegetables or legumes or pungent fish. 

‘Be Prepared’ as a Scout
Choosing wisely when you go on date will save you from embarrassing moments or having your date second guess their evening with you.   Go prepared and ready, this will keep anxiety to a minimum, will have you enjoying your night and ready for the next date.

Article published by Luxury Advisor >> 

Why is there an emphasis on those who work for the government, an embassy, or mission to see the need to attend an etiquette course?  Ray S. Leki from Foreign Service Institute, U.S. Department of State states, “the rules and processes of diplomatic protocol are based in pragmatic thinking, common sense, and good manners.”
 
We know that etiquette is about politeness and courtesy, but not all are diplomats working for embassies or governments. Do I need to know or even show diplomacy in my everyday life?  The answer, in short, is yes.
 
Diplomacy is the art of conducting, communicating, negotiating, and fine-tuning mutual relations of people, organisations and countries.  Diplomacy can be used for non-adversarial interactions to promote one’s or group interests or critical events and defuse tensions.  The use of diplomacy allows for open, transparent dialogue, which enhances friendly relations as long as possible.  But first, let’s look at two etiquette faux pas that has occurred on an international scale.  Let’s take a walk-through history….

Based on historical evidence, Queen Victoria was fascinated with those from different countries and enjoyed cultural differences.  No doubt she would have used her etiquette not to embarrass her guest, The Shah of Iran; she showed the quality of adaptability and accepted the partly eaten asparagus.  Emperor Akihito shows compassion towards Taro Yamamoto by taking the piece of paper.  Whether he read it or not was another question. The emperor calmly took the letter and gave the handwritten "washi" paper to his chief steward.
 
Both Queen Victoria and Emperor Akihito could have shown nonchalance towards the Shah of Iran or Taro Yamamoto and moved on very quickly.  However, they used their etiquette and diplomacy to benefit everyone, not just themselves.  Maura Graber – Etiquette Historian stated that “protocol and etiquette is under the umbrella of diplomacy….as humanity evolves, diplomacy evolves along with it. Diplomacy has to evolve for society to keep going… it's very cyclical. As the modern era brings in modern dilemmas, etiquette and diplomacy have to change to confront those modern issues.“