☕ Café, food & drink

Eating out

Eating together has always brought people closer. A relaxed meal out, where everyone orders what they fancy, takes the stiffness out of any evening.

Eating together brings people closer

Eating together has brought people closer for as long as there have been tables. Around one you are equals, you share something fundamental, and conversation comes naturally. A relaxed meal out, where everyone orders what they fancy, takes the stiffness out of any evening. The food provides the occasion and the frame, and the rest follows in the enjoying.

The kitchen as a discovery

Eating out is also a journey for the palate. A cuisine you don’t yet know, a restaurant with character, a new favourite dish – discovering together is a pleasure and gives you plenty to talk about. If you are willing, you try a little from everyone else’s plate and taste your way through a whole menu. That curiosity turns a meal into a sociable occasion.

Getting the setting right

For the evening to work, the choice of restaurant is worth some thought. For a first meeting or a larger group, somewhere with a relaxed atmosphere where you can hold a conversation is ideal – not too loud, not too formal. A reservation saves waiting. And settling the bill fairly from the outset means nobody frowns at the end.

Tips for getting started

Choose somewhere at a relaxed volume where you can hold a conversation.
Book ahead, especially for larger groups or at the weekend.
Try a little from each other’s plates – that way you taste your way through the whole menu.
Settle the bill fairly and simply, ideally agreed at the start.

Frequently asked questions

Is eating out a good way to get to know someone?

Very much so. Eating together creates a natural frame for conversation and takes away any stiffness. Somewhere with a relaxed atmosphere is ideal.

What is the best way to split the bill in a group?

The simplest is to divide the total fairly between everyone, or to say clearly from the start that each pays their own. Then there is no discussion at the end.

Eating out near you

Find people with the same plan right now – or invite others to a meet-up of your own.

See meet-ups Start your own meet-up