For businessman Vijay Kumar Kabra, getting a slot with Pizza Dojo—a weekly dining experience in Kolkata—was “tougher than getting Coldplay tickets.” Yet he describes the culinary get-together as “the best decision ever.” “For a change, everyone put their phones down to chat and have a good time. It was fun to swap stories and make some new friends,” he adds.
Like Kabra, Jay Shah—a director at an engineering firm, who attended a dinner organised by Mumbai-based House of Málà—found the idea of dining with strangers who could turn into friends refreshing. “There was a sense of warmth and intimacy. The shared dining space created an atmosphere of community and conversation,” he says, bringing us to our subject—communal dinners.
A growing trend across the country, communal dinners blend gastronomy with human connection, echoing the age-old tradition of community feasting. Sikhs have langar, Keralites have sadya, Maharashtrians have pangat, and so on. Inspired by these traditions, modern immersive dining experiences now bring strangers together in private or restaurant settings to share meals and forge bonds.
Communal dinners attract not just gourmands but also adventurous guests seeking closeness, novelty and the experience of dining with strangers. These gatherings resonate with those who value cultural exchange over the familiarity of a typical restaurant outing.
Celebrating food as a catalyst for connection, ventures like House of Málà, which serves Sichuan cuisine, embody the belief that food tastes better when shared. Pizza Dojo, founded by Priti and Rahul (who prefer to stay anonymous), stems from Rahul’s love for pizza, developed during his New York internship. Kolkata-based Sombreros offers homemade Mexican fare, while Kochi’s Bites & Banter invites diners to explore culinary artistry through intimate, interactive meals.
With each of these supper clubs, the consensus is clear. As Esha Agrawal Bidasaria of Sombreros says, “Community dining has a very simple concept: arrive as strangers, leave as friends.” And Saloni Gupta, co-founder of House of Málà, adds, “They tap into the growing desire for experiences that feel personal and curated. It’s about fostering a sense of camaraderie through love of food.”
In today’s paradoxical digital world where isolation is rife despite hyper-connectedness, communal dinners offer a much-needed antidote. “They are a subtle yet powerful reminder that communities are not built through screens but through real conversations,” says Shah. “They reaffirm the essence of what it means to belong.”
For Bites & Banter co-founder Anna Josekuttan Pynadath (fondly called Annamoi), such experiences are pivotal to rebuild the sense of togetherness humankind has lost and bridge gaps across backgrounds and beliefs. “Friendship blind dates” is how Pizza Dojo co-founder Rahul describes such feasts.
“We started as a space where people, opinions and ideas could come together over good pizza. We’ve seen friendships form (and flourish) over our dinners,” he shares. And his patron, entrepreneur Shubhangee Agarwal, agrees: “I met people I’d never have encountered otherwise. Sharing a meal with strangers creates an atmosphere that’s hard to replicate in traditional dining settings; it allows you to learn about different perspectives.”
Diner Kinni Shah asks a relevant question: How often would you walk into a restaurant and choose to talk to a stranger? But her experience with Pizza Dojo opened her mind to the possibility. “We often get so involved in our daily lives that meeting new people outside of a work setting is difficult. Communal tables allow you to break away from that,” she says, while Saraf alludes to “a sense of adventure and fun.”
The practice takes us back to our roots of gathering and sharing meals. In a time when organic connections feel rare, Prachi Gupta, co-founder of House of Málà, is certain that Indian patrons are eager for more such culinary affairs. “The concept resonates deeply with our culture; it’s the format that’s changing from family gatherings to curated experiences,” she explains. “There’s a growing appreciation for intimate yet inclusive dining, especially among younger audiences who seek connections beyond their immediate circles.”
Gauri Devidayal, director and co-founder of the Food Matters Group, has seen phenomenal response to such meals organised by her Magazine St. Kitchen, which hosts special menus by guest chefs in a communal seating style. “I’ve met some of my closest friends at these communal dinners,” she says, adding how dining with strangers has gained popularity in recent years, with supper clubs and pop-ups offering chefs a platform to showcase their talent without the costs of running a restaurant or cloud kitchen.
Aditi Dugar, co-founder and director of Urban Gourmet India, believes there’s a growing appetite for such modern settings. “Patrons today are increasingly open to exploring new formats of dining, especially when it feels immersive and creates a sense of exclusivity,” she shares.
Pizza Dojo co-founder Priti believes dining with strangers may take time to gain traction in India’s diverse cultural landscape, but “we know many in their 20s and 30s would opt for a communal meal to meet new people.” “With relocation (for work) becoming more common, these experiences help foster connections without a digital filter,” she explains.
To summarise, communal dinners hark back to the emotional role food plays in our lives. “Beyond sustenance, the beauty of communal dining lies in the connections it nurtures. In a world that sometimes feels increasingly fragmented, these gatherings offer a rare chance to slow down and share in something truly meaningful,” Dugar concludes.
