The Lowdown: DineMe
Not another dating app. What’s wrong with Tinder, Hinge or Match?
Nothing, but none of them specifically target foodies as DineMe does. Launched in London, the dating app allows people to connect through their shared love of food and dining out or, as the press image inexplicably shows, a penchant for biscuits.
From food lovers to actual lovers. How does it work?
As is standard with dating apps, users create their own profile and can then create ‘dines’, where they can select a place at which to meet that includes a preferred time, date, cuisine, and even conversation topics – because nothing gets the juices flowing like knowing you have two hours of 19th Century Dutch politics to endure. Once that is done all that is left is to begin searching for someone with whom to share the experience.
Lots of swiping left and right then?
Many of the usual dating app features apply. DineMe allows people to see a range of users’ profiles with at least three photos, as well as their name, age, distance from your location, interests, and a brief biography. The only real difference here is that as well as being judged on looks, people can also be appraised for their choice of restaurant or their favourite foods.
It all sounds very sensible...
That’s not the best bit. DineMe’s trump card is that it enables users to eradicate the awkward post meal conversation about who’s picking up the tab by allowing them to state upfront on the app before the date who will be paying or whether the bill will be split. For serial daters this could be a gamechanger.
Lucky Londoners
Although DineMe is launching in London, the intention is for the app to roll out across the rest of the UK and beyond. So, you never know, that date at The Ritz in Paris when you only pay half and get to talk about why you should have made it as a movie star could soon become a reality.
