Marie Claire

Marie Claire

Wednesday, 7.45pm. I'm drinking in a fashionable inner-city bar surrounded by 10 good-looking guys, all of whom have paid to speak to me. I'm excited, flattered and slightly nervous. I imagine the other nine girls standing next to me feel exactly the same.

We've signed up for speed dating, the newest, and hippest, dating phenomenon. It's a novel way to meet lots of different men - like sampling a restaurants menu before deciding on the dish you want.

The concept is simple. Organisers invite equal numbers of men and women to a local bar, where everyone gets eight minutes to find out as much as possible about each other. The next morning the organisers with the email addresses of the men who've expressed an interest in seeing you again.

These events are promoted as a chance to meet new people, rather than The One, and that certainly the attitude of most of the daters. "I'm new to Sydney, so I thought it might be a good chance to meet some cool people," says John, a doctor, as we're settling into an enjoyably flirty conversation at the bar. Then the gong sounds - we're off.

First up is David. "So what are your passions?" he asks.

"S&M," I quip.

There's an uncomfortable silence, during which I make a mental note not to be so flippant. With only eight minutes to impress, it doesn't pay to be too clever or controversial. But I use the time to glance at John, who smiles back. I'm glad - he seems to be having a little too much fun with his current "date".

Next is Peter, a 26-year-old financial planner and avid surfer from the northern beaches, with short brown hair and a ready smile. "I'll have you surfing in no time," he says, when I tell him my flatmate and I are about to start lessons. He's a little over-confident, but friendly - I might just take up his offer.

It's amazing how much you can discern about people in eight minutes. Smart, funny, cold, supercilious - I figure I've got everyone sussed. But I guess that works both ways! For the most part, the men are intelligent, handsome professionals in ironed shirts and shiny shoes - an impressive bunch of guys.

The atmosphere is fun and buzzy, but the format definitely favours more outgoing individuals. Marine biologist Simon says little during our eight minutes but reveals a dry sense of humour when we gather at the bar later on. John, Simon and I end up chatting for an hour, long enough for me to work out that I really do fancy John, and that tomorrow morning's hangover will be severe.

It is. I open my inbox, bleary-eyed, and am pleased to discover that John, Peter and Simon all want to get in touch. A few hours later, all three have emailed me. John is about to leave for a three-week holiday overseas, but during that time we email each other regularly. I like the feeling that we're getting to know each other before another date. Hopefully next time will last longer than eight minutes.

Verdict: Speed dating attracts outgoing, confident people who thrive on competition - everyone had made an effort to look good. It was the most fun I've had in ages.

I used Fast Impressions, which held drinks at Savage Bar in Surry Hills, Sydney. The company organises events nationwide, and an Internet search on "speed dating" throws up other agencies around the country. For details visit www.fastimpressions.com.au

NOTE: FastLife is a subsidiary of Fast Impressions.