PDF download Download Article PDF download Download Article

Approaching a girl who catches your eye at a bar can be intimidating, especially if she looks busy having a great night with a bunch of friends. Of course, you don’t want to let that make you miss an opportunity to meet someone who might end up becoming someone special in your life. Anytime you approach a woman, be polite and respectful if she doesn’t seem interested in talking to you. More importantly, don’t listen to any of the “pickup” advice online—it can steer you in the wrong direction. This list will give you some ideas for how to approach a girl in a group in a healthy, respectful way.

1

Make eye contact with her.

PDF download Download Article
  1. Glance over at the girl and try to make eye contact before you approach her. [1] Don’t stare or hold eye contact for too long or it can come across as creepy. Just glance over, make eye contact, maybe flash a little smile, and go back to talking to your friends. [2]
    • If you make eye contact and the girl looks uncomfortable or turns her back to you, those are probably signs that she’s not interested in talking to you.
    • If she also makes eye contact and smiles, chances are that she is interested. [3]
  2. Advertisement
2

Walk over and say hi to everyone.

PDF download Download Article
  1. Walk up to the group, say “hi,” and introduce yourself. Make sure you’re saying hello to the whole group and not just zeroing in on the girl you’re interested in. Saying hi to everyone may help you make a good impression. [4]
    • For example, say something like “Hi ladies, my name is Josh, how’s your night going?”
    • Always approach a girl from the front so she can see you coming. Coming up from behind is creepy and threatening.
    • Reader Poll: We asked 564 wikiHow readers, and 62% said that when you're striking up a conversation with a girl in public, it's best to open with a comment or question about the place that you're both in . [Take Poll]
    • So when approaching a group of girls at a bar, you could comment on the music or the vibe of the venue. You have tons of options!
3

Engage everyone in conversation.

PDF download Download Article
5

Be confident, not cocky.

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you’re feeling it, you can work an appropriate joke or a nice, non-superficial compliment into the conversation. [7] Just be you and try your best to let your normal personality shine without trying too hard to impress the girl. [8]
    • There’s no “rule” for how to show confidence. If you’re normally a pretty funny person, you might try to make the girl and her friends laugh. Just stay away from topics like politics, religion, etc.
    • If you’re a naturally more reserved person, you can show confidence simply by carrying on a conversation with the girl. [9]
  2. Advertisement
8

Ask if you can buy her a drink.

PDF download Download Article
  1. Politely ask if you can buy her next drink. If she says no, leave it at that and don’t push the matter. It’s normal for girls to be apprehensive of receiving drinks from strangers because, unfortunately, there are a lot of dirt-bags out there who might slip something in their drinks at a bar. [13]
    • Try saying something like: “Hey, what are you drinking, a margarita? Can I buy your next round?”
    • You can also offer to buy her friends some drinks, too. If they say yes, ask what they want to drink. If they say no, well, you saved some money! [14]
9

Try to break away from the group.

PDF download Download Article
  1. If the bar has activities, like a pool table, darts, or another bar game, ask her if she wants to play with you. Or, if the bar is too loud and you’re having a hard time hearing each other, ask if she wants to go to a quieter part of the bar with you and talk. [15]
    • For example, you might say something like: “Hey, do you like pool? I just noticed there’s a table over there, want to play a match with me?”
    • Or, you could say something like: “Hey I really want to keep talking to you but it’s hard to hear you right here by the bar, want to go sit at that table over there with me for a bit?”
  2. Advertisement
10

Leave if the interaction feels forced.

PDF download Download Article
  1. If the conversation turns awkward or, even worse, there’s just awkward silence, wish the group of girls a good night and leave. If the girl is interested in you, she’ll probably look for a way to come talk to you later. [16]
    • Remember that not everyone goes out to a bar to meet potential love interests. They might be having a reunion between close friends, celebrating something special, or consoling a friend over a breakup, for example.
    • If at any point during the interaction the girl says “no” to something, respect that. If someone says “no,” it means “no,” plain and simple.

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 73,063 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement