Dinner is not an interview.

Start with something real

“What do you do?” can be a beginning, but it does not have to fill the whole evening. Something about the place, an unfinished book, a funny moment from your day: a conversation can begin with something much smaller.

Try sharing something before asking. “I have been rediscovering live music lately” gives the other person a starting point without making them feel examined.

The best conversation is not the one where you impress someone. It is the one where you can be present.

An answer deserves a follow-up

If someone says they love a city, ask what draws them back. There is no need to move straight to the next question. Following a detail is a simple way to show curiosity.

The opposite is true too: you can change the subject if a question makes you uncomfortable. “I would rather talk about that another time” is a complete answer, not something you need to justify.

Do not fill every silence

A pause can simply be a pause. Taste your food, look around, smile. Every moment does not have to be a demonstration of wit.

Your phone can wait too. If you need to check it, saying so is kinder than disappearing halfway through a sentence. The point is not perfect etiquette: it is letting the other person know you are listening.