At We Dine we know just how challenging hosting can be. Often, it’s a brilliant opportunity to get your family and friends together over some fantastic food and warming drinks. Which is why we are so proud of our offering that truly allows for you to focus on hosting whilst our fantastic chefs cook up a storm in the kitchen, providing sumptuous and stunning meals for dinner parties in London and around the rest of England.
That being said, it can seem a little daunting to keep a group of your nearest and dearest entertained, so have we spoken to some of our valued clients and asked them for some top tips on how to keep your guests entertained. And a number of our regular hosts mentioned that dinner party games can often be a great way to break the ice, particularly if your guests do not know each other previously. So sit, back, relax let our chefs do the cooking and our team help you plan the perfect dinner party.
1. Trivia Game
This one is first on our list and is particularly easy, but it requires minimal effort from you, the host. Instead of having to fuss or faff with any actual planning beyond heading to Amazon and purchasing one of their many many Trivia games online. And even if you leave it to the very last minute, you can always use Prime and purchase them for next day delivery. A nice, easy, uncontroversial game to get the party started.
2. The Book
For those literature fans out there this one is a fantastic way to break the ice, and even those who limit their reading to Fifty Shades of Grey should find this one rather humorous. One guest must choose a well known book and the rest of the group must guess what the first line is. The individual who gets closest to the original wins the game….obviously you will probably need to have the book on your bookshelf for this one, so probably best to double check that one.
3. Consequences
In truth, we used to play this game as kids, but it works even better when you’re an adult, particularly if members of your group have a slightly lurid sense of humour. The aim of the game is to write a lovely story so each player takes a sheet of paper and writes an assigned section of the story. The sections could be, but of course feel free to change these...
1) A description beginning with the word ‘the’,
2) A woman’s name
3) A description, again, beginning with the word ‘the’
4) A man’s name
5) The place they meet
6) What he gives
7) What he says
8) What she says
At the end you will have a delightful little story, that we assure you will easily break the ice at even the most difficult of dinner parties.
4. Ask Me About
This is a fantastic opener and can be played during drinks and nibbles even before you try some of Our We Dine chef’s fantastic tasting food. Simply write some name cards that read “ask me about” and insert a point. These can be as funny or as serious as you like, depending on whether you are hosting a dinner party for friends, family or business associates. For some more serious ideas you could go with “my job,” or “my family.” For a dash of whimsy some good ideas might be “my first kiss” or “the worst date I ever had”. The sky is the limit.
5. Celebrity Couples
Again…this is another cracking opener, helping people to relax even before one of our We Dine chefs serves up your chosen menu for your dinner party. Choose some famous celebrity couples and write one of their names on a post-it note, then stick a post-it note on the back of each person without letting them see their character. Each of your guests must then work the crowd to find their better half.
6. Two Truths and a Lie
An oldie but a goodie, and one that improves dramatically after a few glasses of wine, two truths and a lie is a simple game that can keep your entire party entertained. Each person has to think of two statements – two truths and a lie and the rest of the dinner party must guess which are correct and not. Simple, but perfectly formed this game can be played at any point during your catered dinner party and remember yOur We Dine chef will do all the cleaning, so you can focus on being game master.
7. Dictionary game
Now, we know that a number of our clients use our We Dine chefs to host dinner parties aimed at their business clients. With a fantastic range of stunning menus available in London and around the UK, these can prove invaluable in building long term and sustainable relationships. However, it can prove tricky to navigate that delicate balance of business and play and so for those who are a little anxious this game may prove to be the trick. Offering light hearted entertainment without touching anyone’s buttons you simply pick a word from random out of the dictionary and have to guess the meaning.
8. Favourite Moments
This is another crowd pleaser that can work beautifully for an elegant and refined dinner party. Each of your guests writes down their favourite moment and places it into a receptacle of your choice (hat, bowl or whatever you fancy really). Then you simply need to pass the hat around the table and each person must read out the moment and the rest of the party should guess who wrote it. It’s a really great way of making your guests feel at home without having to play any riskier games.
9. Cards against Humanity
We would recommend this to the young professionals who hire one of our We Dine chefs for an affordable way to access fine dining. This game is notoriously naughty and is available on Amazon as well as a number of High Street stores. Each player receives 8 cards and one must read out a phrase which the other players must complete using one of their cards. At We Dine we like to think of ourselves as polite and decent people, but we are somewhat reticent to write any examples here. However, if you would like something a little more risqué and an alternative to the standard dinner party fayre, then let us assure you – this is the game for you.
10. Malteser Game
Last but by no means least is the Malteser Game…now whilst all our chefs make phenomenal, luscious deserts that are the perfect end to your dinner party, the malteser game can work if you want your crowd to stick around even after Our We Dine chef has cleared away all the plates and made their discrete exit. Simply put a bowl in the middle of your table and give each person a straw then see who can pick up the most maltesers. After a few drinks, trust us…this is a game changer.
Do you play any after dinner games? We would love to hear from you; it would be great to have some more ideas.
At We Dine we are always keen to hear from you, whether it’s feedback on our chefs, dinner party menus or process so please do feel free to give us a ring on 0207 183 168 or drop one of our team an email on foodies@wedine.co.uk. If you would like some more tips on hosting, please do feel free to check out our blog page here.
For any bookings do take a look at our website ehochef.com for some sample menus. We hope to give our chefs a fair amount of autonomy so you are free to contact them directly and discuss any dietary requirements or changes. All our chefs are handpicked by our team and are in line with the latest health and safety legislation. Whilst you must provide the crockery, they will do everything else – including the cooking, and perhaps most importantly, the cleaning. So, for a fantastic catered dinner party in London or around the rest of the UK, please do feel free to contact us.