If you’re a lover of food, chances are you also enjoy socialising with a knife and fork in your hand and a plate in front of you. There’s nothing like a happy evening where conversation with friends flows, flavours excite your palate and a restaurant or home kitchen is filled with easy-going fun. But what if your friends, for whatever reason, are not as available for such culinary japes as they once were?
Parenthood, emigration and lack of funds can all interfere with social plans at one stage or another, causing groups to temporarily disintegrate or simply fall apart forever. What happens when you want to continue dining out in groups but your social circle is less active? The solution could lie in supper clubs – a handy vehicle used to gather together like-minded diners over food but without the pressure of having to know the other guests in advance.
These events, which are becoming increasingly common in Ireland, are designed to tap into a natural desire to make real-life connections and (possibly) friends while enjoying a particular cuisine.
While some supper clubs do try to encourage people to come alone in order to make new acquaintances, it’s possible to attend most with a partner or friend. This can be particularly inviting for people who have, for example, moved to a new area as a couple for work. Every supper club is themed differently, with some focusing on more intimate dining experiences and others themed around different food types or times of the year.
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Included in the price of a ticket is usually a welcome drink and a multi-course meal, with additional drinks usually costing extra. Each club will be set up differently, but the variety of clubs on offer in Ireland these days means there is sure to be one for everybody.
The Bookshelf Supper Club at The Elysian
Cork city
Since 2022, the Bookshelf, a breakfast and brunch restaurant in the centre of Cork city, has hosted 15 editions of its supper club. The events began as a way to bring back full evening dining after the pandemic but proved so popular that the restaurant decided to continue them. Each edition has a different theme, from Italian, Brazilian and French evenings to Valentine’s Day and Jazz Weekend.
Attendees are welcomed with a drink followed by a multi-course set menu built around seasonal ingredients. The Bookshelf collaborates with local wine merchants and producers to provide pairings that complement the evening’s menu.
Unlike some other supper clubs, The Bookshelf does not set up communal seating, with guests seated at their own tables, mostly in twos and fours, and the option to join tables for larger groups.
Prices are typically €50-€80 per head, depending on the menu, and wine pairings are included.
Mingle Collective
Various locations
When Dearbhaile Gaffney and Gráinne O’Higgins were introduced at a mutual friend’s wedding in December 2023, the pair quickly realised that they shared a love of cooking and hosting.
“We ended up chatting about how so many of our friends had emigrated. We felt there was a real need for something that brought people together in person, especially in a world that is so focused on social media, and that’s how the idea for these community focused events began,” says Gaffney.
They launched Mingle Collective in July 2024 and try to host at least one supper club a month in a venue in Dublin, but they have also hosted events in Belfast and plan to try to expand to other cities in Ireland. They also host charity nights and breakfast and Pilates mornings.
“We get a lot of guests who come alone – we really encourage it,” says Gaffney.
Those attending a Mingle supper club should expect a welcome drink on arrival, pickles, breads and dips as a starter, then a hot dish, a side dish and at least one salad for the main course, followed by a dessert.
Tickets can be bought through a link on Mingle’s Instagram account @mingle_irl and range in price from €50-€80.
The Landlover Supper Club
Dublin 7
Aideen White returned to Ireland last year after 20 years working as a chef on various superyachts around the world. She met Sheena O’Byrne – who is, among other things, a florist – through friends and realised they had a shared love of intimate dining experiences. They felt there was a gap in the market for such events in Dublin and decided to start putting on small events in O’Byrne’s home.
“Our diners can expect excellent food in an especially warm atmosphere, where they’ll meet new people and make new connections and friends, all joined in the for love of food,” says White.
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She believes Landlover events are “bringing worlds together that would not normally meet. From different ages, to different backgrounds, it’s so curious.”
The Landlover Supper Club runs two nights a month in O’Byrne’s home but the pair are looking for a more permanent venue to host their events.
“We also go to people’s homes and recreate the Landlover experience there.”
Tickets are available on Eventbrite and are €95 per head for a six- course menu with a welcome drink.
The Dining Club
Whitestown House Estate and Leviathan Food, Co Dublin
Sisters Aoife and Kelly Keogh who run The Whitestown House Estate with their mother Hazel, were inspired to start The Dining Club after their father Jimmy Keogh died in 2022.
“He and Mam entertained a lot and always had the house full of friends and guests. Our Mam, Hazel, is an unbelievable cook and she loves entertaining, so we felt it was important to continue their legacy and tradition of hosting and gathering people at Whitestown House,” says Aoife.
Around the time of their father’s death, Kelly went to Ballymaloe Cooking School where she met James Gabriel Martin of Leviathan Food. Aoife has worked in the restaurant industry for years and loves hosting and tablescaping.
“We decided we should bring our skills and knowledge together to create a convivial and unique culinary experience that showcases the best in Irish country house hospitality,” she says.
They didn’t want to call it a supper club as they feel the experience is more akin to stepping back in time and being invited to a wonderful dinner party in an Irish country house.
“The buzz and the craic in the diningroom is amazing. Everyone sits at the long table together, and you would never know that they didn’t know each other beforehand.”
The Dining Club takes place one weekend a month for 20 guests. For each event Kelly, James and Hazel create a seven-course seasonal tasting menu themed around time of year. They focus on using local, organic and sustainable ingredients. Throughout the evening Kelly and James will share the story of the ingredients or the history of the dish.
They work with sommelier Nisea Doddy to select the wine pairings and there’s something for everyone, with Majken Bech-Bailey, founder of drinks company Baek, creating non-alcoholic pairings as well.
Tickets start at €130 per person for a seven-course dinner and a welcome cocktail, with other drink pairings costing extra. Tickets can be bought on whitestownhouse.ie/the-dining-club and on Eventbrite.
The Happy Pear Supper Club
Greystones
David and Stephen Flynn, the twin brothers behind the plant-based cafe, cookbooks and supermarket products, The Happy Pear, host a fortnightly supper club above their cafe and shop in Greystones, Co Wicklow, from March to December each year.
Each month is themed around a different cuisine or season, with November’s theme set as Polish.
The chefs try to make as much food as possible for the club from The Happy Pear’s own organic farm but do have to source some things from other local producers.
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“We get people attending from far and wide. Mostly couples and groups join us and often people do come along alone and we seat them with others if they prefer company,” says Stephen Flynn. “The evening is in a warm, friendly and casual atmosphere, with the purpose to celebrate local food. We love it.”
Each supper club has a four-course, plant-based menu which includes a soup course. Tickets can be purchased from thehappypear.ie/supper-club and cost €49 per head.
