Can a picky eater find happiness with an adventurous foodie? Modern daters debate the gravity of relationship gaps

As if modern dating weren’t difficult enough, the internet has become obsessed with finding niche compatibility tests and categorizing the differences between partners, with a string of so-called relationship gaps going viral on platforms such as TikTok recently. Now the latest one has arrived, and it’s already proving to be polarizing: the restaurant gap. Described by The New York Times as “a misalignment in tastes, spending habits and culinary curiosity,” a restaurant gap can take many forms. Take a picky eater and an adventurous foodie, or even a devout reservation chaser who incessantly scrolls through Resy versus someone who couldn’t care less as long as food is served. For many on social media, the gap rings true to life. “As someone that doesn’t often enjoy fine dining, I will not continue a relationship with someone that loves it,” a user said on X, responding to a thread on the topic posted by Elena Burger, a new media writer for a16z.