A round table works well here, creating an intimate setting that feels cosy yet ... a soft glow for romantic dinners and brighter settings for lively gatherings. Ditch boring white lights.

Okay, how many date nights have you spent ordering takeout, sitting on the couch, Netflixing, chilling, and so on and so ...

What is the most polite way to set the dinner table when one person will not be eating any food? Should there still be plates and flatware at their spot, or only glasses? Or a full place setting ...

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Aly Walansky is a NY-based journalist who covers cocktails and dining. Restaurants are not always the luxury they appear to be ...