LOVE ON THE MENU

Bartender Merlin Griffiths takes us behind the scenes of the hit dating series

- JO BERRY

First Dates is back for a new series, and once again fan favourite Merlin Griffiths is behind the bar, dispensing drinks and kind words to the nervous singletons who appear on the show in the hope of finding true love.

Originally filmed at a restaurant in London, followed by one in Manchester, the blind-date-and-dinner show is now located at The Botanist in Bath, which Merlin, 49, describes as “really gorgeous”.

“No disrespect to our previous restaurants, they were all fantastic,” he says, “but this was special, it really was. The location is quite something. I went to school and grew up in Cheltenham just down the road, so I am very familiar with Bath and it is drop dead gorgeous. I think that sort of location really does have a bearing upon the mood and the attitudes of your dates, it sets the scene and helps bring out the best in our dates.”