Man matches with the best-looking girl on Hinge. She picks a French restaurant with no prices on menu and his jaw drops seeing the bill. Wine was $340

A man’s first date story has drawn attention online after he said the total bill came out to $1,100. The man, who posts under the username christiancooks on TikTok, shared the story in a video from Chicago. He said he matched with a woman on the dating app Hinge and later described the experience as costly and, at times, embarrassing.

In his video, Christian said the woman, whom he called “Lady,” had a profile that stood out to him right away. He said they talked for five days before he asked her out, and he initially suggested a Mexican restaurant. According to Christian, she turned down that idea, and the two agreed on a French restaurant instead.

Christian said he looked up the restaurant’s menu online before the date and noticed it did not list any prices. He said he did not think much of it at the time. He also said he arrived 12 minutes early and felt more nervous than usual.

The wine alone reportedly cost hundreds of dollars

Christian said that once they sat down, the menu turned out to be written entirely in French, with no translation and no prices listed. He said a sommelier then approached their table with a wine list and asked if they wanted the 2015 or 2018 vintage of a burgundy. According to Christian, he asked the sommelier for a recommendation, and the sommelier suggested the 2015, saying it had “had time to breathe.”

Christian said he then asked Lady how much the bottle would cost, and she replied, “Don’t worry about it.” He said he later found out the bottle cost $340. Such surprise bills are not uncommon in high-end dining, as when a couple visiting a Tokyo restaurant thought they ordered a 70 steak then came the 700 bill. 

Christian said he did not know how to read the rest of the menu when it came time to order food. He said the waiter asked whether he wanted the “bavette” or the “entrecôte,” and he asked the waiter to recommend one. He said he ordered the entrecôte and asked for it to be cooked medium.

According to Christian, the steak arrived cooked medium rare instead. He said he ate the entire steak anyway and told a staff member who checked on the table that it was cooked to his liking. Christian said Lady then insisted on flagging the mistake to the waiter herself, despite his telling her it was not necessary.

Christian said the waiter apologized for the error. He said Lady told the waiter, “Can you please just let the kitchen know for future reference,” and the waiter responded, “Of course, miss. Of course, my apologies.” According to Christian, the kitchen later did not charge for the steak because of the cooking mistake.

Christian said the final bill for the meal came to $1,100 before tip. He said the breakdown included the $340 bottle of wine and a $45 appetizer that he said he could not identify from the menu. He said he paid the bill and left a tip without reacting visibly.

In a follow-up video, Christian said the date continued afterward at a nearby bar, where he accidentally spilled a cocktail on Lady’s dress. He said a piano player at the bar later dedicated a song to their table after apparently witnessing the incident. Christian said the total cost of the evening, including the restaurant, the bar tab, and a dry-cleaning expense, came to about $1,400.

Christian said that by the end of the night, Lady told him there would not be a second date. He said she thanked him and left after giving him a hug. The two videos together have circulated on TikTok as part of a multi-part storytime series. Hinge dates can sometimes take unexpected turns, such as when a woman went on a date with a Christian conservative who demanded her body count within minutes. 

The video drew a range of reactions in the comments section. One commenter suggested Lady’s behavior throughout the date was practiced, writing, “I have watched both parts in conclusion she is a professional dater she does that a lot.”

Another commenter said the story left them puzzled, given how Lady behaved despite the situation, writing, “I’m kinda confused by this story. Other than the bill being outragous, the lady seemed very kind and sophisicated.”

A third commenter said they expected the date to lead to another one, pointing to how Lady reacted to the chaos of the evening, writing, “I thought for sure there would be a second date! She has a good sense of humor.”