What to Expect at a Dinner With Strangers

By the Joiner team. Updated: 9 October 2026.

A dinner with strangers on Joiner is a Wednesday dinner for six people at a restaurant, booked through the Joiner app. In Vilnius it starts at 19:30. You arrive, find your table, eat, talk, and leave with five new names.

6 | people at every table 19:30 | Wednesday start in Vilnius 1.5-2h | typical dinner length

What happens when you arrive?

You walk into a public restaurant and tell the staff at the entrance you have a table booked under the name Joiner. The table is reserved for your group, so there is no hunting for seats.

Book a seat | Pick a Wednesday dinner in the Joiner app. Arrive 5 minutes early | You meet people one by one, not a full table at once. Say "Joiner" at the entrance | The staff will show you to the reserved table. Open the cards | Conversation cards unlock in the app 15 minutes before.

If you are the first one there, that is fine. Order a drink, say hi to the next person who sits down, and you already have your first conversation.

Who is at the table?

At a Joiner dinner there are six people, all of whom signed up because they want to meet someone new. Some just moved to the city. Some have lived there for years and want a fresh circle. Many come alone.

We chose six on purpose. It is enough people that the conversation does not depend on one person, and few enough that everyone can hear each other. This is our design choice, not a scientific law.

How do you start talking?

You do not have to improvise. Conversation cards appear in the Joiner app 15 minutes before the meet: one question at a time, which anyone at the table can read out.

The easiest opener is still the obvious one: how did you end up here tonight? Everyone has an answer, and it leads straight to stories about cities, jobs and moves.

[TIP] Ask "What did you want to do here but never found people for?" The answers often turn into a plan: runs, language practice, games, coffee. For more ideas, see our conversation starters for dinner with strangers.

How long does it last?

Plan for about one and a half to two hours: usually a main course, maybe dessert and coffee. Nobody is locked in. If you need to leave early, a short goodbye is enough.

Many tables keep going after the bill, but that is up to the group.

What if it is awkward?

A short silence is normal at the start of any dinner and usually lasts less than a minute. Someone asks about the food, someone else answers, and it moves on.

Silence after hello | Ask about the food or the city Talking only to your neighbour | Ask the quietest person a direct question Checking your phone | Put it away, use the in-app cards Waiting for a host | Read the next card out loud

Loneliness is common, not personal. About 1 in 6 people worldwide are affected by it, so the person next to you is probably as glad to be there as you are.

If you are an introvert, a table of six is easier than a big party: you talk to the same few faces all night instead of starting over every five minutes.

Is it safe?

Dinners take place in public restaurants that the team books in advance. You share only what you want to share.

[TIP] If someone at the table makes you uncomfortable, you can leave and report them in the app. Plans changed? Cancel your seat in the app as early as you can.

What happens after dinner?

After dinner you can find the people from your table in the Joiner app, follow each other and join the next activity together.

A dinner is often the start: the same group meets again at a run, a quiz or another Wednesday. Want the full picture? Read how dinner with strangers works or what to do on a Wednesday night to meet people.

FAQ

Do I need to come with a friend? No, but you can if you want to, why not? Coming alone is just as easy: most people do, and the format is built for meeting new friends at the table.

How much does it cost? The price is shown in the app before booking.

Is it a dating event? No. Joiner is for friendships. People come to meet new friends, not to date.

What if I cannot make it? Cancel in the app as early as you can so someone else can take your seat. If something at the table went wrong, you can also report it in the app.

Which cities have dinners? Wednesday dinners run in Vilnius now. New cities are announced in the app when the first date is confirmed.

Sources