How do I take first-date conversations past the small talk / platonic stage?

I (25M) have an upcoming outdoor date with a girl with whom I matched on a dating app. I want this to be a casual (as in informal) meetup without any pressure or expectation, but I also want to make this more of a romantic get-together rather than merely a friendly activity.

What I conclude from my past dates is that my conversations seem too "platonic", so to speak; they go well but do not carry any undercurrents of romantic or sexual tension. To put it another way, the girl and I end up having a friendly, relaxing time but nothing beyond that. We talk about our respective professions, hobbies, families, interests & passions, likes & dislikes, and the usual gamut of date-talk subjects, but that's it. For all intents and purposes, the "dates" that I've been on could've merely been friendly meals with a coworker or old friend. I've never been on a second date and I suspect that this issue is partly to blame.

So, my question is, what are some ways whereby I could stoke up the romantic appeal of a first date – conversation-wise – without going overboard?

Another question is: would this even be necessary? Do you think that first dates need to be overtly romantic in nature or is a friendly meetup sufficient?

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Thank you! Yeah, stepping into the dating game in my 20s is akin to learning to drive with a manual transmission car.