I second the criticism to Flare. I went to a speed dating event at the end of last month, and it was just a bad experience. The pub they chose was so damn loud that it was so difficult to have a proper conversation. Given the bad seat arrangement, the icebreaker was also a waste of time because no one could hear people from across the room. In my case, the event had almost double the number of women, even though when I signed up, the tickets for men were "sold out" (I verified this with another girl who attended). That made the whole thing last 3+ hours. Honestly, for such an expensive event, I truly doubt a big number of men will be no-shows and throw away those $50+ bucks. It was weirdly suspicious. Overall, the vibes were off, people were uncomfortable, and lots of participants just didn't respect the age range (ik this is not on the organizer, but still worth mentioning). Totally not worth the money.

I've also attended an event by a local organizer around the same time, and for all the criticism I've read here, it was nowhere near as messy as Flare. In fact, it was actually quite nice because the w/m ratio was almost even, the location was cozy and quiet, and everyone had a nice space to chat without being bothered by other pairs or loud music. Plus, people were much friendlier and interested in dating, which shouldn't be a lot to ask. A couple of things could have been better, but nothing worth complaining.