I went to a stranger's apartment for a dinner party. Even if I didn't make lifelong friends, it was a great way to spend a night in NYC.

Fiona ClairJan 13, 2024, 01:46 IST

I spent a Saturday night at a dinner party in a stranger's apartment.Fiona Clair

I went to a stranger's Brooklyn apartment for a dinner party hosted by Dinner With Friends.
We ate delicious bread, pasta, and tiramisu as we chatted for over three hours.

Making friends as an adult, especially in big metropolitan areas like New York City, takes a lot of effort. But I like to think I've cracked the code — all it really takes is some structured social activity.

Dinner With Friends, an NYC-based group founded by Anita Michaud that throws intimate dinner parties for strangers, immediately caught my eye when I scrolled past it on TikTok and Instagram. For those outside of NYC, similar supper clubs and dinner-with-strangers events exist around the country.

Food is such an easy way to bring people together, so I couldn't wait to attend one of Dinner With Friend's events. There are typically a couple of dinner parties offered each month that cost about $80 and largely operate on a lottery system for tickets.

Here's what it was like sitting around a table of strangers for over three hours.

I was the first to arrive, but it surprisingly wasn't awkward.

I'm either five minutes early or 15 minutes late, so I opted for the former.Fiona Clair

The place settings served as the initial icebreaker.

I was seated at a Rome plate.Fiona Clair

All of the little details were so cute.

I loved the little name cards.Fiona Clair

The menu for the night was specially crafted by the host.

There's a different handpicked menu for each Dinner With Friends event.Fiona Clair

We kicked off the meal with a traditional Dinner With Friends toast.

Anita made a delicious shrub-based drink.Fiona Clair

The homemade focaccia was absolutely heavenly.

I could've just eaten the bread for my entire meal.Fiona Clair

Before the main course, Anita took the time to walk us through the dish.

All of the food was served family style, so we could take as much or as little as we wanted.Fiona Clair

The pasta was rich and heavenly.

I grated a good amount of fresh Parmesan over my ravioli.Fiona Clair

I can never say no to tiramisu.

The tiramisu was extra boozy.Fiona Clair

Dinner With Friends ends the night with a really sweet ritual.

We all got cute little fortunes.Fiona Clair

I probably won't see these people again, but that didn't make the night any less special.

By the end of the night, there was a nice assortment of drinks, plates, and food scraps.Fiona Clair

I've cooked over 1,000 Ina Garten recipes. Here are 10 of my favorites for an easy dinner.

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