Men's Guide to Hosting a Dinner Party

Think about the last time you shared a meal with some friends. Chances are it was at a pub or huddled over takeaway containers. To live like a gentleman, you'll want to elevate that experience. 

Here's our definitive guide on hosting a dinner party for the modern man.

Create a Curated Guest List 

Creating a guest list helps you identify how many people you want to attend and what dietary restrictions you may have to work around, and it helps you pick a theme, style, or mood for the evening. For example, are you calling up only your guy friends, or will you diversify? Then, of course, the crowd you invite will influence the rest of your decisions.

Planning Your Dinner Party Menu 

If your cooking abilities are limited to backyard grilling or reading the back of a prepackaged meal to see what temperature to set the oven at, you'll need to consider the kind of menu you serve. 

Guests will expect appetisers/hors d'oeuvres, the main course, and dessert or drinks. Prepare all you can in advance so you don't spend awkward time away in the kitchen. 

An easy first course is a charcuterie board. Charcuterie boards are artistic arrangements of stackable foods like smoked meats, cheeses, fruit, artisan bread, spreads, olives, and nuts. 

For dinner, include sides like salad and bread and your central meal. Easy dishes that work well—especially as you can prep them ahead of time—include risotto, roast chicken, or braised beef. 

Serving Dinner 

The appetiser is served first when guests arrive, along with beer, wine, or cocktails. Even if you don't know how to mix drinks, keep vodka, whiskey, gin, brandy, and some liqueurs and mixers on hand. Allow 60 to 90 minutes for everyone to get comfortable and mix and mingle before serving up dinner. 

Begin reheating your main course so it is ready to serve after about an hour and a half past arrival. Arrange the elements for the main course on the table or have the guests serve themselves buffet or family-style. 

The table should be set with the appropriate utensils for the meal type (a steak knife, if needed). Next, provide luxury glassware for water and wine. Lastly, end drink service and offer coffee or tea toward the night's end.  

A part of the modern gentleman's lifestyle is self-control; don't drink in excess. Limit yourself to two to three drinks over the course of the night. Keep a note of which guests are driving home and make sure no one gets behind the wheel drunk. 

Keeping the Party Going 

If you're worried about lulls in conversation or ways to entertain as a host, keep a few tricks up your sleeve. Introduce a game or ask unique icebreaker questions.

You can even print a list of unique questions onto paper slips and put them in a jar. Then, pull out a slip with a thought-provoking question to get people talking. 

Hosting a Dinner Party Made Simple

You don't have to wave goodbye to nights at the pub or takeaways with friends. Learning how hosting a dinner party works is beneficial for the modern man. If you'd like to learn more about how you can improve yourself and feel your best, take a look at the rest of The Journal and our self-care products now.