Best first dates

Gutter

Park Slope: Charm and chocolate
Despite the strollers, Park Slope still boasts badass bars and brownstone charm—perfect for wheedling a first date into a few smooches. Get started on the role-playing early in the relationship by slipping on a cape and hiding your secret identity at the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. (372 Fifth Ave at 5th St; 718-499-9884, superherosupplies.com). Then walk down to Aunt Suzie’s (247 Fifth Ave between Carroll St and Garfield Pl; 718-788-2868, auntsuzie.com) for a heaping plate of pasta ($13.80 for an order that feeds two). Work off the carbs (feeling full ain’t sexy) with a lively round of bocce and a few brews at Union Hall (702 Union St at Fifth Ave; 718-638-4400, unionhallny.com). Finally, put your libations-loosened tongue to good use over fondue for two ($14) at The Chocolate Room (86 Fifth Ave between St. Marks Pl and Warren St, Park Slope, Brooklyn; 718-783-2900, thechocolateroombrooklyn.com), where you can whisper sweet nothings and nibble on fresh fruit, pound cake and homemade marshmallows.

Williamsburg: Park, pork and pins
The High Line is such an obvious first date. The East River State Park (enter at Kent Ave and North 8th St; 347-297-9470, nysparks.state.ny.us), on the other hand, offers rail-yard remnants and green pastures with the bonus of being hiply out of the way. Then see what kind of game your date has at The Gutter (200 North 14th St between Berry St and Wythe Ave; 718-387-3585, thegutterbrooklyn.com), to knock down a few pints and pins (a games is $7, shoes are $3). Impressed? Spend the next 15 minutes small-talking your way from there to Fette Sau (354 Metropolitan Ave at Havemeyer St, 718-963-3404), where you can sample slow-cooked beasties from a rotating menu of lamb, pork and beef (including bellies and tails), served up by weight on butcher paper. Last stop: some romantic late-night arcade time at Barcade (388 Union Ave between Powers and Ainslie Sts; 718-302-6464, barcadebrooklyn.com)— a fiver buys you 20 chances to beat that damn ape in Donkey Kong or slaughter all the spies in Rolling Thunder.

West Village
Start the night off with a Mumbai specialty—like a spicy mashed potato, vegetable and pulled-goat sammie ($3–$5)—at the newly opened, pint-size Aamchi Pao (194 Bleecker St at MacDougal St, 212-228-1909). Avoid the eatery’s BYO cork fee ($5) and grab drinks at Fat Cat (75 Christopher St at Seventh Ave South; 212-675-6056, fatcatmusic.org), where there’s nightly jazz a wonderland of board games, Ping-Pong, shuffleboard and the 8.5 percent volume Delirium Tremens, among other beers and wines. If you need something even stronger, graduate to the Warhol-inspired Le Royale (21 Seventh Ave South at Leroy St; 212-463-0700, leroyaleclub.com) for a cocktail and some cabaret. And when all the Pop Art’s got you hankering for a few Technicolor treats, order something pink, green and delectable (like strawberry and pistachio) from L’Arte del Gelato (75 Seventh Avenue South at Barrow St; 212-924-0803, lartedelgelato.com; two flavors $4.75).

Moonlight romance

Thrill-seeker

Foodie

Intellectual

Indier-than-thou

First dates

Naughty

Artsy

Nature

Touristy

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