A date with prospects, and potentially long-term material? OK.
If just meeting someone cold, maybe something informal. But as Tigger points out, it's not all that informal if it's a date. Although as long as it's not fast food, I wouldn't be too worried. Best dates I had, I analyzed many years later, were something like this:
1. Dinner (or other event)
Dinner gives you both something to partially focus on while getting through the early introductions and awkwardness.
You can do any event here, but doing something that gives you at last some conversation is ideal, otherwise you're essentially postponing your date. For example, if you went to an art museum, or an aquarium (whatever), you get to talk, but you have something else you're doing. A movie is not a great choice for early dates IMO. Don't go ultra-expensive unless that's the norm for you either.
2. New location to have coffee or drinks or dessert
Now you're almost all conversation and the car ride and change of scenery is better than just hanging out at the same dinner spot.
Here is where you should be picking up if there will be a second date if not before. Although if dinner went terribly, you could always conclude before this. Notice if you're into one another, you're basically on a second date compared to that poor chap that only did "coffee" as a first date
3. Conclude if going well, with somehwere semi-private with nothing but the two of you. That could be a beach walk, or something more simple like hanging out at the courtyard of your apartment (if it's not an eyesore), or at worst just talking in the parking lot/driveway at her place. Ideally you may end up holding each other and do some kissing. Save the groping for the second date. Unless this was a booty-date, and you wouldn't be asking where to take people....
