In March, astrologers and relationship proto-scientists have promised us the return of an ex or a new crush, which is enough to make us vaguely anxious, because we’re going to have to take these people somewhere for a date that will make us look our best.
Mind you, we think of a movie date as a classic, like champagne and strawberries, or jeans and a white T-shirt. It’s cozy, it’s the perfect time to graze your fingertips in the dark and impress each other by pronouncing tagliatelle correctly (ta-lia-tè-llè -you’re welcome!) or ordering a dry wine without the waiter’s help.
But relationships are also built, or strengthened, through experiences. We have a list, and depending on whether we’re interested in the hobbies and interests of the crush in question, or whether we want to share our sexiest interests (in our opinion), we’ll stand out from the crowd. Obviously.
1 For those who went to art school
Did the crush read you his poems? Are you part of a collective that makes performance art in the basement and, really, that’s all you like to talk about?
Les Soirées Buvette at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
We visit the exhibition of the moment, hand in hand, and explain theartistic impact of a work to each other , glancing under our eyelashes…
The next Soirée Buvette is on April 3, and features a DJ, cocktails and a pom-pom key-ring workshop.
You’ll need to book a little in advance, but it’s the height of artistic chic…
The Tagtool workshop at MAPP
It’s a bit geeky too, but we’re casting a wide net. Tagtool is a kind of digital painting in live projection, and it’s perfect if you’re artistic and your crush is an iPad kid or video game pro. The key to a successful date is to share…
The workshop takes place on March 12 at Caserne 26 between 6 and 7:30 p.m. and is free of charge.
2 For those who want to live outside
And for those who panic when they see photos of their crush climbing Everest…
Orchid Expo
Stendhal syndrome in the intoxicating scent of orchids, with the thermostat on the hottest, most humid setting humanly possible to bear. Need I say more?
It’s March 29 and 30 at Collège Ahuntsic, and admission is $12.
The view from Mount Royal
It’s a classic, and we’re a bit cheeky to add it here, but you can’t really beat the (short) hike to the Mont Royal viewpoint, preferably just before sunset, preferably on a day when there aren’t many people on the trails…
Wear decent shoes, because there’s nothing less sexy than turning your ankle in the middle of a climb. And we breathe through our nose, so that our crush can’t guess that we’re not actually that sporty.
3 For nerds and sapiosexuals
Because sometimes the sexiest thing about you is your big brain…
NFB Salut Ciné! screenings
The National Film Board offers free screenings more or less all year round (we recommend subscribing to the newsletter), but until March 27, it’s Salut Ciné! evenings.
These are documentaries, and you’ll need to bring your own glasses (the kind you find ugly on the pictures, but which the right person will find irresistible) to see the screen properly and discuss it afterwards.
Bonus if you take your crush to see Assholes, a theory (2019) -Assholes, a theory by John Walker, based on the book by Aaron James, on Thursday March 27.
And, for those with no fear of anything or who are in a relationship and don’t want to leave home, the NFB’s online library is full of nerdy documentaries-to get the same result, but with the brainiac version of Netflix & Chill.
4. for night owls
To impress your crush who’s it, who goes out every night, who knows all the clubs and everyone.
The best Martini in Montreal…
To impress a night owl, we take them to the ultra-modern cocktail bar Stilllife , where the Martini is dry, dry dry and the music is so loud we have to lean towards each other to whisper directly into our crush ‘s ear .
We tell them it’s the best Martini in Montreal, and the beauty of it is that if our date disagrees and knows of a better one, we’ll have to meet up again very soon to taste it…
5. for singles
Single and Fabulous (exclamation mark!)
MatchMoi MTL quiz nights
Speed dating has never really tempted us… but we’ve heard that MatchMoi Quiz nights are exceptional, so we’ll put our cynicism aside (just this once). What’s more, a competitive spirit means a faster beating heart…
The March 8 evening is sold out – we’ll be there! – but the next one is on April 5, and you’ll need to book on the website (in advance, because places go fast!).
Tell us all about it…