Originally Posted by
Cavlaw
Tapas.
You order it in rounds, so either of you can say "I'm full" at any time to end the date if it is uncomfortable. You can pick a wide variety of dishes, and the format encourages, without demanding, talking about things you both might like to try so you can share.
You can also both agree to try something outrageous for fun, like an octopus dish, and toss it away if you don't like it since the individual plates typically aren't very expensive.
The atmosphere at tapas restaurants is usually nice, but not formal, with enough background nosie to avoid uncomfortable silence but not so loud as to be distracting.
Sangria is almost always a must at a tapas bar, so the alcohol selection is both easy to make and relatively inexpensive.