Dinner parties are the perfect way to get together with your friends and enjoy good food, wine and laughs. However, if you and your friends regularly throw dinner parties, then you might be looking for a way to make your next one a little more exciting - that’s where themed dinner parties come in. Whether you have all of your guests dress up in fancy dress or have a theme for your food, these themed dinner party ideas will ensure that the next one you host will be one to remember.
Sometimes, it’s not always possible to get together for a dinner party, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy time with your loved ones. Rather than inviting everyone over to your home, this is the age of the virtual dinner party alternative. Spruce up your evenings and arrange an online themed dinner with one of our below ideas for a fun way to get your nearest and dearest together.
Whether you’re looking for a new way to enjoy a family dinner or a romantic date night, our ideas will make sure you have a night to remember. Set up a video call to get everyone involved in the cooking and sharing recipe tips, you can also check out each other's outfits if you've agreed on a theme. Virtual might mean something different for everyone, so do what you feel comfortable with and what’s accessible to you. These ideas work perfectly whether you’re able to be in the same place or not, so whatever you settle on, we’re sure it’ll be a fun-filled evening that makes your standard meal time more than just a meal.
Alice In Wonderland
Like a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party for grown ups, an Alice in Wonderland themed dinner party is a fail-safe theme that’ll have everyone joining in.
First thing’s first, you need to make sure your nibbles and drinks are all labelled with ‘Eat Me’ and ‘Drink Me’ labels, in keeping with the Alice in Wonderland theme. If you want to go all-out with this themed dinner party idea, then decorate your table with plenty of cups, saucers and flowers. Serve your drinks out of teacups and saucers to turn it into a real Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Why not also be true to the book by suggesting that your guests change places between courses? This is perfect for getting everyone to socialise and changing up the conversation.
As for your menu, this Alice in Wonderland themed menu is sure to wow all of your Guests:
Mock Turtle Soup
Any soup of your choice will be perfect for this course - traditional Mock Turtle Soup made from brains and organs may not be to everyone’s tastes, after all! Serve in a teacup.
Queen of Hearts Pie
Whether you’re serving it filled with vegetables or beef (or both!), the Queen of Hearts pie simply must be finished off with a pastry heart cut-out on top.
Red Roses Cupcakes
No tea party would be complete without a cupcake (or two!), so serve your guests a delicious red velvet cupcake with red and white rose-like piped icing as a nod to when the Queen of Hearts’ guards painted her white roses red.
Whether you ask your guests to dress up as characters from the book, or simply hand a top hat to your guests as they walk through the door, an Alice in Wonderland themed dinner party is sure to impress!
Mexican Fiesta
If you’re hosting a Mexican themed dinner party, then you’ll need to get your hands on plenty of tequila, Sombreros and guacamole for a night you’ll never forget!
One of the best things about a Mexican Fiesta dinner party is that it’s super relaxed, leaving you with more time to socialise with your friends and enjoy the spread you’ve put on.
When it comes to your menu, there are plenty of dishes to choose from, including:
Margaritas
Margaritas are a must-have at any Mexican-themed dinner party. The delicious blend of tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and ice will keep your guests happy while you prepare the rest of the food.
Chips and Dips
To keep your guests going until the main event, serve a selection of tortilla chips, guacamole and fresh tomato salsa for the ultimate Mexican amuse-bouche.
Quesadillas
Whether you stuff them with refried beans and cheese, or chicken, chorizo and cheese - quesadillas are the perfect starters to serve at your Mexican-themed dinner party.
Tacos, Fajitas or Burritos
For the main event, let your guests choose what they’d like to eat. Simply serve a number of different fillings, from pulled pork and fajita chicken, to refried beans, cheese and salsa with taco shells and tortilla wraps and let your guests do the rest of the work!
Churros
No Mexican menu would be complete without churros and melted chocolate for dessert. Whether you choose to make them, or buy them from the supermarket, this dessert is sure to go down well with your Guests.
If you’re looking for the ultimate, fun-filled themed dinner party idea, then you just can’t go wrong with a Mexican Fiesta!
Candlelit Dinner Party
Just The Two Of You
Date nights in romantic restaurants are a true classic for couples. But it can be even more fun and intimate when done at home. Whether you're cooking or ordering in, recreate the fanciest dining experience from the off by setting the table with a crisp tablecloth, perfect table settings and even uniquely folded napkins (pop onto YouTube to learn how to create something distinctive).
Don't forget the perfect ambience with music. Create a romantic playlist that suits your personalities, filled with soft sounds that don't intrude on the great conversations you'll be having.
The candle accompaniment has to be right for setting the party mood, no matter your overriding theme. When you’re looking to turn the lights down and create a romantic glow, it’s incredibly important to scent the room with the perfect aroma and fill it with ambience by surrounding yourself with soft multiple points of light.
If you prefer not to let fragrance get in the way of your delicious dinner experience, change to an unscented candle but add vibrancy to the evening with colourful candle bases instead. Then once you’re done, you can switch back to fragranced forms to bathe in a romantic glow with matching aroma.
Why not surprise your partner by flipping dinner on its head and choose to indulge in desserts from the start of your night? Nothing speaks of luxury quite like champagne and chocolate fondue bathed in candlelight as a starter and main course. Take your time to choose their favourite dessert and spend the night treating yourselves to extravagance.
For Entertaining Others
To start, canapés and prosecco are a must-have for any candlelit party among friends, then you’ll want to decide on a cosy theme to go along with the ambience. So whether you want to invoke holiday nostalgia or if you simply want to transport your guests away to a woodland or mountain cabin, it’s important to fill your table with candles and matching décor.
Be ready and devise some party games that work under candlelight. It’s always important that everyone who attends your party has a chance to bond with each other, so why not come up with some prompts to get the conversation flowing like “Your First Date”, “The Worst Day At High School”, or “The Funniest Moment At Your Workplace.”
If you know that people who are attending don’t know each other, why not set the table to sit strangers together with a sheet of 20 questions in front of them. Think of things like “Where Were You Born?”, “What Was Your Favourite Subject At School?” and “What Was Your Dream Job When You Were 10?” to get people talking quickly.
You could go further and ask each guest to come up with two truths and one lie about themselves. The lie has to be believable enough to pique your other guest's interests and is a surefire way people get to know each other without the need to have the intense, lights up activities of other parties.
Make-Your-Own Pizza Night
If you’re looking to host the ultimate low-key dinner party, then you can’t go wrong with a make-your-own pizza night! It’s one of the best themed dinner party ideas if you’ve got fussy friends, as you can just let them choose their own toppings to make their perfect pizza.
Simply get your hands on some pizza bases, there are lots of gluten free ones available for any gluten-free guests! Then grab some tomato sauce (or if you prefer you could create a white sauce base), toppings and plenty of extras including olive oil and parmesan before letting your guests do the rest of the work. Serve your homemade pizza with salad and beer or wine for a truly relaxed, fun-filled evening with your friends.
Get more ideas and style inspiration to show at your next dinner party here.