using myself as an example seems cringey but **** it.
I've been on two first dates, and both girls said they were the nicest/most romantic things anyones ever done for them. the first one, I homemade a picnic with all her favourite foods that I could remember, bought some disgusting wine and took her to a lake in the evening, and we talked all night and kissed until it was super late; I pissed against a tree while she looked at the stars, it was very romantic.
for the other girl, I took her for a day out in london cause she wanted to see the dinosaurs at the natural history museum, then i got a nice hotel room and laid out 400 blackcurrent chewits on the bed in a heart shape cause they were her favourite, and because it was way more romantic than rose petals, we watched scary movies and had a bit of a cuddle. I wrote a list every time she said something cute or something that she liked a lot or wanted to do, and that date was just a combination of all of her favourite things.
thats what romance should be, in my opinion - something that proves that you actually listen and care, and the ability/motivation to apply that to a fun, well organised date. its not about the quantity, like making a huge gesture or spending a ****load of money, it can be something very simple and have a great effect. I wouldn't say the picnic thing was anything special, but it was thoughtful and showed i cared more than just buying her a meal would have.