When the nights draw in, the weather takes a turn and going out after 6pm feels like a monumental effort, there’s nothing we love more than hosting a cosy winter dinner party for friends and family.
The colder months are perfect for entertaining at home, especially if you’re watching your budget more closely this year.
Winter dinner parties can be pretty casual affairs, but they do take some planning. From creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere to serving up the most delicious, fuss-free food, doing a bit of prep beforehand will make your evening run smoothly.
Take a look at our top tips for inspiration.
Creating a cosy atmosphere
The best thing about hosting a winter dinner party over going out to a restaurant is the ease and warmth of staying indoors – so make sure you capitalise on that! Make your home the most welcoming it’s ever been so your guests feel the full force of your hosting prowess and never want to leave.
A good declutter and tidy up is the best place to start – the weekend before your dinner party date, tackle the main rooms in your home. Clear surfaces, hoover under the sofa, shake out rugs and wipe down skirting boards. All those small tasks we forget about, but they make all the difference when they’re done.
As the day draws closer, stock up on little luxuries to impress your guests – things like fancy handwash, fluffy new hand towels and a lovely reed diffuser for the bathroom will make guests feel really welcome.
On the day itself, set a cosy atmosphere by lighting candles, plumping cushions and stacking up chunky knit blankets for guests to grab after dinner. Create a Spotify playlist of soft, gentle music (we recommend Taylor Swift’s Midnights album, on low) and choose dimmed lamps over bright lights.
Dressing the table for your dinner party
Winter tablescapes are such a joy to set up, and an impressive table setting is a great way to elevate your dinner party from casual gathering to an evening that rivals any restaurant visit.
When it comes to how to dress a table for a dinner party, start by thinking about your theme – natural rustic? Art deco glam? Vintage quirkiness? Whatever you go for, once you have a central theme you can build around it.
A simple tablecloth creates the perfect backdrop to your creative tablescape – we love this textured linen style, or go for this patterned version if you want to start with a little detail. For a less uniform look, mix and match your crockery and glassware.
Create a centrepiece with fresh foliage – snip some holly sprigs to display in vases dotted along the centre line of your table, or use longer tree branches laid flat in the middle. We love this shorter candlestick for a rustic look too.
What to wear to a dinner party
Your winter dinner party outfit needs to be casual enough that you feel comfortable and not overdressed, but with that little hint of glam that says ‘this is a party!’.
This beautiful purple satin midi skirt ticks all the boxes – it’s loose and floaty so comfortable to sit around in, but has that star power that’ll make you feel party ready. Team it with this chunky knit jumper and add a pair of indoor/outdoor slippers like these faux fur sandals to give you the best of both worlds – stylish vibes and ultimate comfort.
A slick of red lipstick and loose waves will finish the look. Tell your guests the dress code is comfortable glam and remind them to bring their slippers too!
Food to serve at a dinner party
When it comes to food for a winter dinner party, you may be tempted to go all-out and prepare an elaborate five-course feast… but if you do that, you’ll spend all night chained to the oven without chance to chat to your guests.
Instead, look for a centrepiece dish you can prep in advance and just stick in the oven when your guests arrive. Bonus points if it’s hearty and warming, as befits a winter dinner party – we love Jamie Oliver’s toad in the hole (and Nigella’s quick and easy sausage meatballs are always a winner.
Serve up the obligatory crisps and dips when your guests arrive, then impress them with a selection of homemade canapés (that you prepared hours earlier, of course) – there are some great ideas on BBC Good Food.
Once the food is circulating you can leave your post in the kitchen and spend time with your guests – which is the whole point of a dinner party in the first place, right?
For drinks, ask guests to bring a bottle of their favourite tipple (alcoholic or not), then load up your drinks cabinet or bar cart with a good selection of spirits, mixers, fresh fruit and soft drinks and let them serve themselves.
How to entertain your dinner guests
Making sure your guests are entertained in between courses is key to a good dinner party… and you want to keep the party going once dessert is done too.
Music is essential, of course – start with a mellow playlist (we love Spotify’s 90s Chilled playlist) then move to some current albums (Phoebe Bridgers and Self Esteem are both great as background music to engaging conversations) and finish with something upbeat and fun, like Renaissance by Beyoncé.
Games are a good way to bring your guests together, especially if some don’t know each other. We love this one for breaking the ice in the most hilarious and often embarrassing way – ‘Who Said It’ takes a bit of planning, but it’s totally worth it!
Before the party, go through your guests’ Facebook status updates from years ago and pick out the funniest ones. Screenshot and print them off, blocking out the name of the person who posted. Your guests then have to guess which status belongs to who!
For after dinner, ‘Who Am I?’ (guests write down a celebrity on a Post-It and stick it on the forehead of the person to their left, who has to guess which celeb they are by asking the rest of the group questions). A classic that’ll have you laughing into the small hours!
Need more inspiration for your winter dinner party? Take a look at this blog post for ideas on updating your dining space.
