Go to an Escape Room. You’re forced to interact, work together, and communicate, and you can learn very quickly if you’re a good pair or not.
I had a gf who was into that. Not on the first date though.
True story. This is only me, but the only thing I would enjoy less than going out to dinner with someone I don’t really know yet is having them cook for me.
On the other hand, I would be fine with going to a movie and then a drink or bite to eat afterward to discuss said movie; the discussion is the important part, not the refreshments.
I guess it all comes down to knowing enough about the person to be able to take an educated guess as to what you’d both enjoy.
My city is touristy as hell with lots of things to see and do, but as is often the case, as a local I rarely get around to doing any of them. If you live somewhere like that, maybe you can make a fun day of “geeking out like a tourist”.
It might also be a good idea to come up with a few alternatives and then let them choose; that way you both have input and no one has to feel solely responsible for deciding.
This reminds me that I haven’t been on a date in over a decade. Now that nobody’s asking, I have all kinds of ideas for things I’d like to do 
Why don’t you do the asking?
I have learned the hard way, the man should ask. Not sure of the sex of the poster you told to ask, but no. If a man doesn’t ask, he’s not interested and I am not setting myself up for rejection. Rant over. These are great ideas though, thanks all
Speaking as a man, I have to disagree. I’m usually fairly oblivious when people are flirting with me. My sister and sister in law often bring up the time a waiter was throwing himself at me, and I didn’t have a clue. Family and friends tell me I NEVER know when somebody is interested.
Well, when men are interested, they will at least act like it, such as that waiter.
I am a male, and I can’t begin to name the number of girls/women I would have loved to date but had no clue how to go about it. I usually didn’t show it because why admit it if she’s just going to shoot me down? And on the few occasions when a woman has asked me for a date, I was flattered. AAMOF I think I’ll dream up a poll for that thread in MPSIMS and see what SDMB thinks.
My theory is that in the U.S., WRT hetero relationships, male have traditionally done the asking. If we see a female we find attractive, we have to ask. It’s risky. Sometimes it’s yes. When we get a no, it’s disappointing, painful, whatever, but it builds our calluses. We dust ourselves off, tell ourselves tomorrow’s another day, scan the horizon for other opportunities, or whatever.
Women probably don’t ask men for a number of reasons, but a big one is that they don’t have calluses.
You can do your own math on it, but I figure there’s a calculation to be made. Staying home alone when you want companionship is a drag. Being shot down when you make an advance is also a drag. Which is worse? Although I’ve never been uber successful in the dating pool I’m glad I’m male because I would be terrible at putting out signals for the opposite sex to notice and act upon. But it’s totally your choice.
Now that I’m older and my lobotomy has healed, I also think that the ideal thing would be to invite the guy without making it sound like a date or turning it into one. Just get together and have fun, see how your personalities mesh or don’t. Could you be friends? My requirements for my SO includes that, but YMMV.
See also:
Sadie Hawkins dance, where the girls ask the boys and the boys have to wait to be asked.
St. Catherine’s Day, for which the Wikipedia article states:
On St Catherine’s Day, it is customary for unmarried women to pray for husbands, and to honour women who have reached 25 years of age but have not married—called “Catherinettes” in France. Catherinettes send postcards to each other, and friends of the Catherinettes make hats for them—traditionally using the colours yellow (faith) and green (wisdom), often outrageous—and crown them for the day. Pilgrimage is made to St Catherine’s statue, and she is asked to intercede in finding husbands for the unmarried lest they “don St. Catherine’s bonnet” and become spinsters. The Catherinettes are supposed to wear the hat all day long, and they are usually feted with a meal among friends. Because of this hat-wearing custom, French milliners have big parades to show off their wares on this day.[7]
IMO there’s nothing wrong with a woman who doesn’t want to marry, but if she wants a husband I think wearing a big hat to announce she’s still available once a year is very charming.
One of the first dates I took my wife out on was to a clown bar in Milwaukee. We got married a month and a half later and, no, she wasn’t pregnant. It’s 42 years this month.
When I was a teen a super fox (hey, that’s what we called hot girls in the 70’s) said she’d go out with me. But I had no money and no car. We took a walk in a park near her home and talked for hours. When we got back to her house I asked “can I give you a kiss?” As I was asking I pulled out a Hershey chocolate kiss and handed it to her.
As freaking corny as that sounds it worked. She thought it was cute and cleaver. We ended up making out for a while and she told all her friends at school what a nice date I took her on.
That is cool. Creativeness beats money any day.
The results so far: 83% say either man or woman should ask for the first date (18 votes):
Another interesting tradition:
No one has said Woman. 
( In the poll)
I took somebody to an outdoor lookout area at Conowingo Hydroelectric Dam on a cold dark winter evening for our first date. We’ve been married 32 years now.
Someone has. But the point is, neither should be compelled to ask for the first date. I’m a guy. I’ve asked. I’ve had girls ask me. It’s all good. Yes, you put yourself out there to risk rejection but … in the scheme of things … so what? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If someone is not interested in dating you or screwing you or whatever, it doesn’t mean you suck or are a bad person or anything. I got tangled up in that type of thought when I was younger, and once I learned to just not take it personally and have my self-confidence and self-worth hang on whether somebody accepts my advances or not, it all because a hell of a lot easier.
I always like the idea of seeing a film and then dinner, this way you’ve got something to talk about.
Plus, that way the cinema isn’t likely to be as busy and same with the restaurant
I found ice skating to be a nice early date when I was younger. It’s interactive and fun. Plus I played ice hockey in high school and college, so it allows me to show off my physical prowess without really “showing off”. I feel like at least one of you needs to be able to skate well. In the movies, it always looks cute when the couple is falling all over the ice giggling and whatnot, but IRL I don’t think it would actually be that fun (and possibly a bit dangerous).
LOL…also “antiquing”
In much of the US, it’s fine to go outdoors for most of the year.