Have you noticed that you’re seeing mentions of at-home dinner parties recently? It’s not your imagination — dinner parties really are having a moment. While it can be fun to go out as a group to a nice restaurant, there’s also much to love about hosting an intimate dinner party at home. They offer a chance to connect with friends and family, do something different, and all-around have a special, memorable time.
And what’s even better about dinner parties is that you don’t need to be a great cook to host them. While the food should be delicious, no law says that the deliciousness needs to be down to your culinary skills. There are plenty of dishes where the food, not the preparation, does the talking.
If your lack of cooking skills has been holding you back from hosting a dinner party, then this page is for you. We’ll outline everything you need to know about hosting an all-time great meal without having to take a cooking class first.
Set the Scene
The best dinner parties are the ones that set the tone from the very beginning. The goal here is to try to recreate the energy of a high-end restaurant, and actually, that’s a lot easier to achieve than you might think.
Mostly, it comes down to clearing the space so that there’s no clutter, getting the lighting right, putting on some restaurant-worthy music (light jazz works great), and scenting the space with a diffuser or a candle. Upon arrival, your friends and family will instantly know that this isn’t just another evening at your place; it’s a special night.
Lean Into Aperitivo Hour
Aperitivo hours are an underrated part of dinner parties. They serve so many purposes, including helping to put your guests at ease. It can feel a bit strange to go immediately to the dining table during a dinner party. With an aperitivo hour, your guests can settle in, chat, and work up an appetite.
They’re great for hosts, too, since they provide additional time to take care of any last-minute preparations. It’s easy enough to dip in and out of the kitchen when you know that your guests are having a good time.
They’re easy to organize, too. All you really need is some snacks, such as olives and nuts, and a quick what would you like to drink?
Decorate the Table
With dinner parties, the goal should be to elevate the everyday aspects of at-home dining so that they feel considered and intentional.
You’d be amazed at how much of an impact a few simple additions to the dining table can have. Quality tablecloths are surprisingly affordable, and once you have one, you’ll find that you use it many times over the years. Beyond that, it’s all about incorporating a few candles, the best cutlery you have, and cloth napkins. Those additions alone can make the space look like it belongs in a fine-dining restaurant.
For Starters: A Soup With Quality Bread
We told you at the beginning of the article that you don’t need to be a great cook to host a dinner party, and what you serve for starters will prove it. There are plenty of great starter recipes out there, but here’s the thing: you really don’t need them! A delicious soup served with quality bread really can do the job.
Everyone loves soup, and what’s more, it’s so easy to make. If you really don’t believe in your cooking skills, then you can buy a fresh soup from a top-end store, but we think that’s not necessary. Great soups can be made with just a few recipes in about twenty minutes.
The bread is another matter. It’s hard to make great bread at home, or at least it takes time to learn. For this, it’s best to simply go to the best bakery in town. Outstanding bread mixed with a hearty, delicious soup really will have your guests saying, oh my god, this is delicious from the very first bite.
A Delicious Main That Requires Minimal Effort
A delicious main dish is the difference between a good dinner party and a great one. Most people think that serving a delicious main dish requires high-end cooking skills, but that’s not the case. In some cases, the ingredients can do virtually all of the heavy lifting. That’s the case with quality steaks and certain seafoods, such as lobster. Look at buying ribeye steaks or a lobster roll kit, and you’ll be able to serve a delicious dish that requires minimal effort. Lobster rolls are particularly recommended because they offer the ‘wow’ factor; your guests simply won’t expect to be served a lobster roll, let alone one that offers restaurant-worthy taste.
A Dressed-Up Store-Bought Dessert
You could spend ten hours making a dessert, and still not be quite happy with the results. If your goal is to have your guests leave with a big smile on their faces, then the dessert has to be a winner — and that means leaving it to the professionals. As with the bread you buy, it’s best to go to the best dessert place in town.
That doesn’t mean that you don’t have to do anything. Presentation matters in the culinary world. Plate it right, and perhaps add some ice-cream, raspberries, or a dusting of cocoa, and it’ll look like it’s come straight from a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Have A Signature Drink
There are a few tried and true strategies for winning over the crowd. One of them is serving a quality drink. This will usually be a cocktail, but it doesn’t have to be — though a delicious whisky sour or frozen margarita is nearly always a hit!
There are two ways to wow your guests with drinks. One is to batch-make a lot and have it on tap all night, or you can bring it out as a special treat at some point in the evening. Whatever you choose, you can bank on your guests going home happy!
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