Couples. Athird chair atyour table.

Mostly, an evening out. Dinner for three at a restaurant neither of you would have found. Drinks in a bar with live music. A walk through the old centre with someone who knows which streets are worth it. Some couples prefer something quieter back at the hotel: a bottle of wine, music, a long talk.

Every couples booking stays companionship, and every companion sets her own boundaries. What changes is the balance. She pays attention to both of you, equally, all evening.

The most important step happens before anyone messages. Talk it through as a couple. What kind of evening, how long, what feels comfortable and what does not. Couples nights go well when both people want the same night.

Then one of you contacts the desk with the plan. Mention that it is a couples booking, so the right companion gets suggested. If either of you changes your mind on the day, say so. Nobody minds.

A good couples companion is socially generous. She reads two people at once, draws in the quieter one and never takes sides in a friendly argument. Michelle is nurturing and chatty, the easiest person at any table. Lea is sweet and charming, loves theatre and interior design, a natural for couples who like culture. Sonya is calm and thoughtful, a ballet and fragrance lover, a gentle presence for a first time. Rosa is earthy and easygoing, galleries and records, not a trace of pretence.

Some couples prefer someone nearer their own stage of life. The aged 30 and over group is a good place to begin that search.

For a first couples evening, keep it simple and keep it public. Supper in Oud-Zuid after a concert, or a relaxed wander between the bars of Amsterdam West, where nobody looks twice at anyone. Your hotel or apartment can be home base afterwards.

Public places also make the first half hour easy. Everyone has a drink in hand and something to look at, and the conversation finds its feet before anyone notices.

Include her. That is the whole rule. Sit so everyone can see everyone, not the two of you on one side and her opposite like a job interview. Pick topics all three of you can join. Private jokes between partners are fine, just explain the punchline.

Agree a quiet signal as a couple for wrapping up the evening, and respect it when either of you uses it. She notices when a night is winding down and will never make the ending awkward.

And keep it discreet. No photos, no tagging, no stories. What happens at the table stays at the table.

Nervous? Normal. Most couples are, the first time. Start with a drink rather than a whole evening. Choose a bar you both already like, so at least the room is familiar. Let her lead the small talk for the first ten minutes. By the second round the nerves have usually gone.

If it does not click, end it kindly and early. A short evening that felt right beats a long one that did not.

Couples evenings usually run past the hour mark. That means a quote, on request, confirmed on WhatsApp when the two of you have settled on a plan. Give a little more notice than for a solo booking, especially at weekends. The booking steps are otherwise identical, and rates start from €180 per hour.