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This platform helps you find cool dining experiences like intimate dinners in people's homes in more than 130 countries - here's what it's like to use
This platform helps you find cool dining experiences like intimate dinners in people's homes in more than 130 countries - here's what it's like to use
Connie Chen,Connie ChenJan 3, 2020, 12:54 IST
Eatwith/Instagram
If you want a change of scene from conventional restaurants and dinner parties, Eatwith provides unique and memorable alternatives for a delicious meal.
Through an Eatwith experience such as a dinner, cooking class, or food tour, you'll enjoy great food, meet fellow locals or travelers, and strengthen your connection to your city.
The food experiences are available in more than 130 countries. It's easy to find and book an experience that fits your needs and preferences.
I tried an Eatwith dinner hosted in Brooklyn, New York, and loved how it brought together a group of strangers in an intimate space, as well as the restaurant-quality food we enjoyed.
In New York, a city renowned for its restaurant and food scene, you would think it's easy to lock down dinner plans for any given night. But as much as I enjoy exploring restaurants and trying all types of cuisines, the practice of eating out can feel tired and tiring.
The problem is, neither of those alternatives is perfect. When you order in, you might miss out on the rituals of a sit-down dinner. When you host a dinner party, no matter how casual, you still have to deal with food preparation and post-event cleanup.
Eatwith lets you experience dining in a new and fresh way, and it doesn't involve going to a stuffy restaurant, ordering greasy food delivery, or washing piles of plates after a dinner party. It's a platform to find unique dining experiences hosted in cool locations all around the world by professional chefs and home chefs. Through an Eatwith experience, you'll enjoy great food, meet fellow locals or travelers, and strengthen your connection to your city.
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Eatwith/Instagram
Cofounder Camille Rumani told Business Insider, "An Eatwith experience is more than just a meal - it's also the best way to get a true taste of a city, culture, and cuisine thanks to our local hosts. Every day we read reviews that speak to the serendipitous and magical moments that happen at our tables. Reviews like, 'This was our first Eatwith experience and it was the highlight of our trip' are received daily!"
I love both going out for dinner and staying in, but interesting food experiences like the ones Eatwith offers also intrigue me, so I tried the platform out for myself.
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These experiences are available in more than 130 countries in major cities like Paris, New York, Barcelona, and Lisbon. Whether you're a local or a first-time visitor to these cities, Eatwith offers the opportunity to have an authentic interaction with the city's food and people.
Some of the most searched experiences on Eatwith include rooftop brunches in New York, pasta making classes in Rome, and canal house dining in Amsterdam.
To narrow down your search, start with your location.
You'll be able to filter further by date, number of guests, price per person, cuisine type, special diet, and more.
Prices can vary dramatically depending on what type of experience you choose. For example, a simple rooftop brunch in Barcelona costs $55 while a beautiful sunset hike and picnic in Dubrovnik costs $137. Generally, Eatwith's experiences aren't going to be cheaper than going out to eat at a restaurant, but they'll certainly be different.
Choose an experience to learn more about your host, details about the menu, class, or tour, and reviews from other Eatwith customers. Request a booking, pay the fee, and you're all set for your meal, class, or tour. You'll receive confirmation and additional details about your booking via email.
All Eatwith events are covered by a comprehensive insurance policy, and full refunds are given for any cancellations before each event's cancellation deadline.
What can you expect from an Eatwith dinner? I attended one in Brooklyn, New York, to find out.
The specific dinner I went to was holiday-themed and took place in the hosts' home, a cozy brownstone apartment in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn.
My guest and I entered the apartment and were greeted by one of the hosts, a handful of other Eatwith guests, and a well-decorated dining area.
The table for eight was set with candles and Christmas decorations.
We settled into our seats and started chatting with the other guests.
The ability to meet new people is one of the biggest draws of an Eatwith experience. Whereas in traditional restaurant settings you're usually limited to interacting with your own party, Eatwith dinners are more social and bring strangers together to enjoy a meal.
This setup works well for locals and tourists alike. My experience was proof of that: Our fellow diners included two other couples who live in New York, and a solo traveler visiting the city for the first time from England.
We exchanged tales of the horrors of subway travel and events like SantaCon, recommended activities and points of interest in New York, and learned more about each other's jobs and interests through the course of the night.
Meanwhile, our hosts were in their kitchen preparing a five-course meal for us.
They made great use of their small space, but I shouldn't have been surprised by the professional nature of the kitchen. Our chef had formerly worked at Michelin-starred Del Posto as well as a popular speakeasy restaurant.
Not all Eatwith hosts are professional chefs, though a large number of them are. Your host may also be someone who's simply passionate about food, culture, and sharing their city with you. All hosts on Eatwith must go through a rigorous application and screening process in order to be listed on the site.
Each dish was restaurant-quality. What made the meal even better was eating it in the comfort and privacy of a home.
The night's menu was a delicious sampler of Latin American cuisine: empanaditas, tamales, octopus mofongo, hanger steak, and a "coquito" eggnog-like drink to finish off the meal.
The atmosphere was cozy, intimate, and comfortable, with none of the pretensions of a formal restaurant. After we finished eating, we didn't feel rushed to get out to make room for more diners.
Following any Eatwith experience, you can share the highlights with future users by leaving a review on the booking page.
The bottom line: If you like food and trying new things, book an Eatwith experience.
Eatwith experiences are the perfect alternative to expensive dinners out and tiring dinner parties in. As a traveler to a new city, you can get firsthand exposure to its foods, traditions, and people, and as a local, you can see your city in a new light and meet people you wouldn't have otherwise.
The online platform is easy to navigate and use to book your experiences, and because there are plenty of cool options in cities all over the world, you can easily find your next friend outing, date night, or just-because food activity.
