Malaguena
Well-known member
At last, the UK goes continental Europe - what is being described in this thread is how France, Spain etc has been for years, and ditto the demographic profile. In Spain, everyone mixes - young / old, male / female - and all "bars" cater for every profile. Coffee at 23:00 / midnight is not seen as "strange", but equally, nor is a small glass of white at 10:00.That might be one of the biggest changes. I have noticed that people go out in bigger groups these days which means a bigger mix and having to cater for everyone. The younger generation are less divided on strict gender lines like they used to be. The biggest change is that blokes are no longer scared to do things that they would have been bullied for in the past. If you wanted to go out for a coffee with your mate 20 years ago then there would have been a much more toxic reaction than these days. People can be themselves and do what they want so aren't facing the peer pressure to go to the pub for a pint so they can have a chat even if they don't want a pint. A lot of the things people want from a night out these days involves an activity. In the cities there are bars that have games like darts, bowling, mini golf, axe throwing etc. People don't want just a drink as much anymore.
People get used to doing things with their partners as well so going for a coffee is normal. Meeting a friend is the thing you are doing. Why does the setting have to be important? Is there really much difference between it being a pint, a coffee or a burger? The cafe culture is ubiquitous around the world. It's not just new to blokes in the UK, it's weird that it has taken so long to catch on. We're still at the point where it is a daytime activity though. You don't get many coffee shops staying open into the evening like you do across the continent. The pub/bar/restaurant scene dominates on an evening still. I presume that will change in the not too distant future.