Survey on 'First Date Meals': Cafe Ranked #1, Ideal Budget Mostly 1,000-3,000 Yen (Happy Mail Research)
Matchmaking app 'Happy Mail', operated by Ibec Co., Ltd., conducted a survey on 'first date meals' among 200 adult men and women. 'Lunch' was the most popular timing, and 'Cafe' ranked first as the desired location. The ideal budget was concentrated in the 1,000-3,000 yen range.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 21, 2026 at 19:31
- 🔍 Collected: May 21, 2026 at 11:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 21, 2026 at 11:25 (24 min after Collected)
'Happy Mail (Happy)' (https://happymail.co.jp/), an encounter and romance matchmaking app and service operated by Ibec Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture) with a cumulative membership of 35 million (*1), conducted a questionnaire survey regarding 'first date meals' targeting 200 adult men and women (100 men and 100 women).
*1: As of June 2024
In this survey, response results were aggregated regarding:
- Timing of the first date meal (Lunch / Dinner)
- Places they want to go for a first date
- Ideal budget
- How to decide on a restaurant
- Taboo behaviors during the meal
This release discloses the actual conditions and trends regarding meal timing, restaurant selection, budget perception, and taboo behaviors on a first date.
Detailed data and chart materials of the survey results are available on the following page.
▼ Survey Results Special Page
https://happymail.co.jp/happylife/koikatsu/first-date-dinner/
1. 'Lunch' is the most popular for first dates, supported by 68.00% of women (Adult men and women: 200)
When asked whether 'lunch' or 'dinner' is better for a first date meal, 'lunch' was the most popular answer among both men and women.
In particular, 68 women (68.00%) chose lunch, showing that a time frame providing a sense of security is supported for a first meeting.
[Breakdown (Number of people / Percentage)]
- Men
- Lunch: 50 people (50.00%)
- Dinner: 30 people (30.00%)
- Either is fine: 20 people (20.00%)
- Women
- Lunch: 68 people (68.00%)
- Dinner: 15 people (15.00%)
- Either is fine: 17 people (17.00%)
2. 'Cafe' is the #1 popular place for a first date with 142 people (Adult men and women: 200 / Multiple answers allowed)
When asked where they want to go for a first date, 'Cafe' was the most popular with 142 people (71.00%).
This was followed by 'Italian' with 97 people (48.50%) and 'Japanese food' with 55 people (27.50%), indicating that casual formats where conversation is easy are favored.
On the other hand, 'Buffet' with 14 people (7.00%) and 'Yakiniku (Korean BBQ)' with 12 people (6.00%) had few responses, suggesting a tendency to consider them unsuitable for a first meeting due to concerns about smells, how to eat, and environments where it is difficult to settle down and talk.
[Breakdown (Number of people / Percentage)]
1st: Cafe: 142 people (71.00%)
2nd: Italian: 97 people (48.50%)
3rd: Japanese food: 55 people (27.50%)
4th: Izakaya (Japanese pub): 46 people (23.00%)
5th: French: 36 people (18.00%)
6th: Chinese: 27 people (13.50%)
7th: Buffet: 14 people (7.00%)
8th: Yakiniku: 12 people (6.00%)
3. Ideal budget for a first date is concentrated at '1,000-3,000 yen' (Adult men and women: 200)
When asked about the ideal budget per person, responses from both men and women were concentrated in the '1,000-3,000 yen' price range.
Particularly for women, '1,000-2,000 yen' was the most common at 44 people (44.00%), showing a general tendency to prefer modest price ranges.
Meanwhile, for men, '2,000-3,000 yen' was the most common with 32 people (32.00%), and '3,000-5,000 yen' also accounted for a certain number at 30 people (30.00%), indicating an assumption of a slightly higher budget than women.
Additionally, '5,000 yen or more' was limited to 6 men (6.00%) and 1 woman (1.00%), resulting in high price ranges being rarely chosen for a first date.
[Breakdown (Number of people)]
- Men
- Under 1,000 yen: 1 person
- 1,000-2,000 yen: 31 people
- 2,000-3,000 yen: 32 people
- 3,000-5,000 yen: 30 people
- 5,000 yen or more: 6 people
- Women
- Under 1,000 yen: 3 people
- 1,000-2,000 yen: 44 people
- 2,000-3,000 yen: 37 people
- 3,000-5,000 yen: 15 people
- 5,000 yen or more: 1 person
4. How to decide on the first date meal: 'Discuss and decide together' is the most common (Adult men and women: 200)
When asked who should decide on the first date meal, 'discuss and decide together' was the most common response for both men and women.
However, a difference in attitude towards roles was seen, with 18 men choosing 'I will decide' compared to 25 women choosing 'The other person decides'.
From this result, while basically consulting together, it implies expecting a certain level of leadership from the male side
*1: As of June 2024
In this survey, response results were aggregated regarding:
- Timing of the first date meal (Lunch / Dinner)
- Places they want to go for a first date
- Ideal budget
- How to decide on a restaurant
- Taboo behaviors during the meal
This release discloses the actual conditions and trends regarding meal timing, restaurant selection, budget perception, and taboo behaviors on a first date.
Detailed data and chart materials of the survey results are available on the following page.
▼ Survey Results Special Page
https://happymail.co.jp/happylife/koikatsu/first-date-dinner/
1. 'Lunch' is the most popular for first dates, supported by 68.00% of women (Adult men and women: 200)
When asked whether 'lunch' or 'dinner' is better for a first date meal, 'lunch' was the most popular answer among both men and women.
In particular, 68 women (68.00%) chose lunch, showing that a time frame providing a sense of security is supported for a first meeting.
[Breakdown (Number of people / Percentage)]
- Men
- Lunch: 50 people (50.00%)
- Dinner: 30 people (30.00%)
- Either is fine: 20 people (20.00%)
- Women
- Lunch: 68 people (68.00%)
- Dinner: 15 people (15.00%)
- Either is fine: 17 people (17.00%)
2. 'Cafe' is the #1 popular place for a first date with 142 people (Adult men and women: 200 / Multiple answers allowed)
When asked where they want to go for a first date, 'Cafe' was the most popular with 142 people (71.00%).
This was followed by 'Italian' with 97 people (48.50%) and 'Japanese food' with 55 people (27.50%), indicating that casual formats where conversation is easy are favored.
On the other hand, 'Buffet' with 14 people (7.00%) and 'Yakiniku (Korean BBQ)' with 12 people (6.00%) had few responses, suggesting a tendency to consider them unsuitable for a first meeting due to concerns about smells, how to eat, and environments where it is difficult to settle down and talk.
[Breakdown (Number of people / Percentage)]
1st: Cafe: 142 people (71.00%)
2nd: Italian: 97 people (48.50%)
3rd: Japanese food: 55 people (27.50%)
4th: Izakaya (Japanese pub): 46 people (23.00%)
5th: French: 36 people (18.00%)
6th: Chinese: 27 people (13.50%)
7th: Buffet: 14 people (7.00%)
8th: Yakiniku: 12 people (6.00%)
3. Ideal budget for a first date is concentrated at '1,000-3,000 yen' (Adult men and women: 200)
When asked about the ideal budget per person, responses from both men and women were concentrated in the '1,000-3,000 yen' price range.
Particularly for women, '1,000-2,000 yen' was the most common at 44 people (44.00%), showing a general tendency to prefer modest price ranges.
Meanwhile, for men, '2,000-3,000 yen' was the most common with 32 people (32.00%), and '3,000-5,000 yen' also accounted for a certain number at 30 people (30.00%), indicating an assumption of a slightly higher budget than women.
Additionally, '5,000 yen or more' was limited to 6 men (6.00%) and 1 woman (1.00%), resulting in high price ranges being rarely chosen for a first date.
[Breakdown (Number of people)]
- Men
- Under 1,000 yen: 1 person
- 1,000-2,000 yen: 31 people
- 2,000-3,000 yen: 32 people
- 3,000-5,000 yen: 30 people
- 5,000 yen or more: 6 people
- Women
- Under 1,000 yen: 3 people
- 1,000-2,000 yen: 44 people
- 2,000-3,000 yen: 37 people
- 3,000-5,000 yen: 15 people
- 5,000 yen or more: 1 person
4. How to decide on the first date meal: 'Discuss and decide together' is the most common (Adult men and women: 200)
When asked who should decide on the first date meal, 'discuss and decide together' was the most common response for both men and women.
However, a difference in attitude towards roles was seen, with 18 men choosing 'I will decide' compared to 25 women choosing 'The other person decides'.
From this result, while basically consulting together, it implies expecting a certain level of leadership from the male side
FAQ
Is lunch or dinner better for a first date?
According to the survey, lunch is the most popular among both men and women, with 68% of women supporting it for a sense of security.
What are popular restaurant genres for a first date?
The #1 choice is 'Cafe' (71%), followed by Italian (48.5%) and Japanese food (27.5%), showing a preference for casual dining.
What is the budget for a first date meal?
The ideal budget is mostly 1,000-3,000 yen per person. Women tend to prefer a more modest 1,000-2,000 yen.