Intimate gatherings and private dinner party planning in Los Angeles.
An evening around one table with the people you most want to talk to. We plan and design private dinners and intimate gatherings so that you, the host, can take your seat and stay in it.
Close enough to notice everything.
At a dinner, guests spend hours within reach of the details: the flowers at eye level, the candlelight, the place cards, the menu in front of them. That closeness is why a small gathering repays careful planning.
We plan dinners for birthdays, anniversaries, engagements and family occasions, and for evenings that need no reason at all. They can be at home, in a private dining room or at a place we help you find.
Host without leaving the table.
Hosting a dinner usually means half the evening in the kitchen or on the phone with whoever is running late. We take that on, working with the chef or caterer, the rentals and the staff so the evening moves at an easy pace.
Before the night, you choose the menu and the mood with us. During it, we keep the courses and the timing on track while you stay in the conversation.
If the dinner is at home, we plan around your space, including where guests gather before they sit down and how the table fits the room.
What goes into a private dinner.
The details shift with each gathering. These are the parts we most often handle.
The setting
Your home, a garden, a private dining room or a rented space. If you're still looking, we suggest places that suit the size of the group and the feel of the evening.
The table
Linens, place settings, florals, candles and place cards, designed together so the table looks as if it was set for these particular guests.
Chef and menu
We bring in a private chef or caterer who suits the occasion and help you shape the menu and the wine, with every dietary need accounted for.
Staff and service
Servers, a bartender if you'd like one, and a plan for each course so the service feels unhurried.
Invitations and seating
Printed or emailed invitations, arrival notes for your guests, and a seating plan worked out with you, guest by guest.
Light and music
Candles, softer lamps and music kept low enough to talk over, so the room stays warm as the evening goes on.
The evening itself
We arrive before setup and keep each course on time, so you can stay at the table with your guests.
How we plan a private dinner.
A dinner can come together on a shorter timeline than a large celebration, and it moves through the same stages.
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Send an inquiry
Choose dinner or private gathering on the inquiry form, and tell us the occasion and roughly how many guests you expect.
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A conversation about the evening
We get in touch to hear who's coming, what the dinner is for and the kind of night you picture.
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Menu and design
We put the setting, the table design and the choice of chef in writing along with our scope, and refine them with you.
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The final details
Tastings, rentals, the seating plan and the timing of each course are settled in the weeks before.
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Dinner is served
We look after the evening from the first arrival to the last coffee, and you enjoy your own table.
The kind of dinner where no one wants to be the first to leave.
Who a private dinner suits.
Hosts who want an evening to feel personal without carrying all of it themselves.
You're marking an occasion with a few people.
A birthday, an anniversary or an engagement, celebrated with the small circle closest to you.
You love to host and would rather not cook.
You want your home full of people you care about and a table worth lingering at, and you'd like someone else to handle the kitchen and the timing.
You're bringing family together.
A reunion, a holiday table or a dinner while relatives are in town, planned so you get to spend the evening with them.
You're hosting on behalf of a company.
A client dinner or a thank-you evening for a team, with the warmth of a private table.
Questions about private dinners.
What hosts tend to ask first.
Can you plan a dinner in our home?
Yes. We see the space beforehand, plan the table around it and bring in what the kitchen and dining room need, from rentals to staff.
We already have a chef we love. Can we keep them?
Please do. We plan the night around your chef or caterer and look after the design, the rentals and the timing.
How do you handle allergies and dietary needs?
We collect your guests' allergies and preferences ahead of time and pass them to the kitchen, so nobody has to ask about them at the table.
Is a dinner for a handful of guests worth a planner?
If you want to be present at your own table, yes. A short guest list leaves more room for design, and the inquiry asks for an estimated count so we can talk about what suits it.
How is a private dinner priced?
It depends on the setting, the menu and how much you'd like us to handle. We quote each dinner after our first conversation, and the budget range in your inquiry gives us a starting point.
Services for a private dinner.
These fit a dinner best, depending on how much you want to hand over.
Let's set the table.
Tell us about the dinner you're picturing and who will be around the table, and we'll be in touch to plan it with you.
