Lily, a 26-year-old PhD student, and Brodie, a 24-year-old chef, met for a blind date at Bombay Brasserie in London. The date, arranged by the Guardian's Blind date column, took place on a Saturday evening.
First Impressions and Conversation
Lily said her first impression of Brodie was that he was "very friendly and apologetic for being a little underdressed for the restaurant." Brodie noted that Lily "was a lot better dressed than me. And had an accent I couldn't place."
The pair discussed their experiences working in hospitality and political canvassing, as well as their shared hatred of dating apps. They also talked about ceilidhs, the Green party, and how the restaurant gave them too much food.
Awkward Moments and Manners
Lily admitted the most awkward moment was when she made Brodie take "a few too many selfies in case some of them turned out bad." Brodie's awkward moment came when he mistakenly thought Lily was from Manchester; she is actually from Liverpool.
Both praised each other's table manners. Lily noted Brodie's "pleases and thank yous to serving staff always go a long way." Brodie said Lily had good manners, though neither knew which set of cutlery to use.
Best Traits and Chemistry
Lily described Brodie as "open to trying lots of new things and going with the flow of life" and happy to go along with her silly jokes. Brodie said Lily had "lots of cool things going on in her life: studying; hobbies; moving around."
However, both agreed there was no romantic spark. Lily said, "I don't think there was any romantic chemistry." Brodie noted, "Definitely similar in the no-spark type thing – always convenient when that's mutual."
Ratings and Future Plans
Lily gave the date a 7 out of 10, while Brodie rated it "somewhere around 8" as a friendly rating but lower as a date. Neither wished to meet again. Lily said she was hoping for someone older, and Brodie noted they are "quite different types of people" and he plans to leave London soon.
The date ended with a friendly hug, no kiss. They stayed at the restaurant until late, but Lily's jet lag and the large meal prevented them from going elsewhere.
