A restaurant reservation is the default first-date move because it's low-risk, not because it's interesting. You sit across from a stranger for ninety minutes with nothing to do but talk, which is exactly the kind of pressure that makes people boring.
The better version has an activity built in — something with a natural rhythm and an easy exit if it's not landing. A wine tasting with a short, structured format. A gallery opening with people to overhear. Even a good market run, if you're both the type who'd rather cook than be served.
The common thread: something to look at or do together, so the conversation happens alongside something instead of under a spotlight. It also gives you a built-in second stop if it's going well — which, honestly, is the whole reason to plan one of these instead of a table for two.