Why Ikea Is the Perfect Location for a Second Date

There’s a formula for second dates. You know you like the person enough to do something more than just get a drink with them, and a meal plus an activity is so often the format of choice. Hence the classic date plan: dinner and a movie. But why would you go to dinner and a movie, when you could go to Ikea instead?

Last January, I went on a date with a man I met on a dating app. We went out for drinks in Brooklyn, and it went very well. So well in fact that we recently celebrated our one-year anniversary. But while the first date was great, I think what really sealed the deal for me was our second, when we took a trip to Ikea.

If you’re picturing a scene à la 500 Days of Summer, in which Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt begin their romance by playing at domestic bliss in an Ikea, I like to think we weren’t that clichéd — and we certainly weren’t pretending to be married with mock conversations in a model kitchen. Instead we had a goofy, easy, and insightful few hours at the 346,000-square-foot Ikea store in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood. It was so good that we went back about eight months later, just for fun. I’m now on a crusade to convince everyone else that Ikea is the best place for a second date.

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Start your Swedish furniture adventure by enjoying a meal at the Ikea cafe. They’re always set up in a cafeteria format — which your date might think is cute. The prices are extraordinarily affordable, so if you want to pay for the other person it won’t break the bank. Getting dinner with someone who’s vegetarian? Don’t worry, they can enjoy the plant-based version of Ikea’s classic Swedish meatballs. A plate of meatballs, mashed potatoes, gravy, lingonberry jam, and peas is also very user-friendly for a date — you won’t have to awkwardly spear large leaves of lettuce or struggle to hold a messy sandwich together.

Prefer to do something earlier in the day? You’re in luck, because Ikea serves breakfast that comes complete with crêpelike Swedish pancakes and, you guessed it, lingonberry jam.

"It’s disrespectful to be sloshed in Ikea."

Merlyn Miller

Unlike when you take a date to see a movie, you can actually talk as you’re walking through Ikea. And that stroll will take plenty of time, at least one hour, and closer to two if you’re having fun — which you will be. The best part about rambling through this cavernous furniture store though, is what you’ll learn about the other person. During the course of my second date at Ikea, I realized it’s the perfect place to get insight into the things you need to know about someone, but wouldn’t think to ask.

A first date covers the big compatibility and background questions, like, “What are you looking for?” and “Are you a serial killer?” A second date is for more subtle interrogations, which can often be harder to think of — so let Ikea do the work for you. Which of the fully staged studio apartments do they like? What color of metal would they choose for the hardware on a kitchen sink? Do they also hate white granite countertops? If they say they love the bedroom lamp with color-changing LED lights, run the other way.

You don’t need to be worried about awkward silences or having enough things to talk about, because every few steps you’ll discover something else to comment on. Walk into the area with dishware and discuss your wine glass of choice. Test out couches together. Give your opinion on the ultra-generic, printed artwork that depicts scenes like a forest of birch trees or a lighthouse on a cape. My now-boyfriend and I spent 30 minutes solely on the topic of “What would you say is your ideal dining table?”

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I can’t officially sanction this, but if you want to have a cocktail while strolling through the aisles, you can pack it in a Thermos or opaque tumbler. My date did this and I was impressed by his mixology skills. Just make sure you bring something on the lighter side; it’s disrespectful to be sloshed in Ikea, and you don’t want to embarrass yourself on a second date.

You don’t need to be in the market for any furniture in order to enjoy meandering through this warehouse of home goods. Regardless of whether you intend to buy anything along the path through Ikea you’ll inevitably find at least one or two small items you didn’t realize you needed — and for a great price. I came away with a very cute potholder that had illustrations of broccoli printed on it ($3.99), and some new string lights for my living room ($6.99).

"And if your date does purchase furniture at Ikea, the most romantic move possible is to offer to help them assemble it."

Merlyn Miller

Perhaps the best part is that if your date goes well, Ikea can help you plan what to do for the next one. While going through checkout I snagged some discounted gingerbread kits left over from the holiday season, and the two of us assembled them together the next weekend. If you’re not visiting near the holiday season, snag some Swedish snacks for a home movie night, which feels like ideal third date territory. And if your date does purchase furniture at Ikea, the most romantic move possible is to offer to help them assemble it.

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