Updated October 2026 · By The Dinner Table Club
The short answer
The most reliable way to meet new people in Los Angeles is a small, structured setting you can repeat: a hosted dinner with strangers, a weekly club or class, or a regular spot in your neighborhood. The Dinner Table Club has hosted 36 events at 25 Los Angeles restaurants and venues, including in West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice, Brentwood, each for 10 to 20 guests who mostly come alone.
Why meeting people in Los Angeles is hard
Distance is the first obstacle. A friend across town can feel like a friend in another city, and plans fall apart over a 40-minute drive.
Many people in LA also work irregular hours, which makes standing weekly plans harder to keep than in denser cities.
What actually works
- Hosted dinners with strangers. A seated dinner with a host is the fastest way to have real conversations with a dozen new people in one night, because the format does the introductions for you. That is what The Dinner Table Club runs.
- Stay local. Build around your own side of the city. A run club, class or regular spot near home is one you will actually keep going to.
- Anything that meets every week. Friendship comes from repetition. A weekly run club, rec league, choir, class or volunteer shift puts you in the same room as the same people, which is what turns a face into a friend.
- Be the one who sends the second text. Most new connections die after the first meeting because nobody follows up. Suggest a specific plan within a week: a time, a place, and who else is coming.
Dinners with strangers in Los Angeles: the numbers
| Events hosted in LA | 36 |
|---|---|
| Restaurants and venues | 25 |
| Most-hosted neighborhoods | West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice, Brentwood, DTLA, Los Feliz |
| Usual night | Thursday, starting around 7:00 PM |
| Upcoming ticket prices | $82 to $135 |
| Group size | 10 to 20 guests, with a host |
Computed from The Dinner Table Club's event history, updated automatically.
Restaurants The Dinner Table Club returns to in Los Angeles
- The Culver Hotel, Culver City (hosted 3 times)
- Telefèric Barcelona, Brentwood (hosted 2 times)
- The Wine Station, DTLA (hosted 2 times)
- The Butcher's Daughter, Venice (hosted 2 times)
- Gracias Madre, West Hollywood (hosted 2 times)
- Crudo e Nudo, Santa Monica (hosted 2 times)
- Owa, Venice (hosted 2 times)
- Civico 2064, Los Feliz (hosted 2 times)
Tips for your first dinner
- Choose a dinner near you. Showing up is easier when it is close, and so is coming back.
- Come alone. Most guests do, and the host does the introductions.
- Make the next plan at the table, while everyone is still in the same room.
More: how to make new friends as an adult, how a Dinner Table night works andupcoming dinners in Los Angeles.
