How to host a dinner party

Your turn to host? Read our ultimate dinner party guide, from how to prep to what to cook, what to drink and how to entertain without the stress. Whether you’re pulling out all the stops with a made-from-scratch feast or want some easy shortcuts from the Foodhall, make staying in the new going out with our expert tips.

Senior Food Editor

Heather Taylor

Pulled pork, mac and cheese, bowl of pickles

So you’ve set a date, got your guest list sorted and you’re in the mood to get planning your dream dinner party? We’ve got you. Read our top tips for how to host a dinner party, from recipe ideas to go-to product recommendations from our Foodhall.

Canapes with tempura prawns and crackers

What you need for a dinner party

Plan your menu based on the flavours you love, seasonal ingredients or even the weather.
Decide on your guest list. If you’ve got a massive crowd coming, opt for sharing platters. Intimate dinner for four? Push the boat out with fancy canapés or desserts.
Ask guests for their dietary preferences in advance.
Choose wines to match the food, a welcome cocktail and some non-alcoholic options.
Set your table. Additions like handwritten menus, candles, fresh flowers or a bowl of seasonal fruit will make it special.
Make a playlist of your favourite songs.

Recipe ideas, here

Nibbles to serve on arrival

Welcome your guests with a spread of picky bits while you finish off the cooking.

Toast our Collection Crafted Sourdough Baguette, then load up with antipasti, olives and charcuterie.
Make marinated feta by tossing feta with olive oil, lemon zest and chilli flakes.
Add a drizzle of Calabrian Chilli Paste to our Extra Smooth Houmous.
Whip up some easy prosciutto-wrapped garlic doughballs to serve with drinks.

Party food recipes

Dinner party starter ideas

A sharing starter is a great talking point and means you won’t have to spend ages plating up individual dishes. Try baking a Camembert inside a loaf of sourdough with a drizzle of Hot Maple Syrup, then serving with crunchy crudités and extra bread croutons for dunking.

A grazing board is another fuss-free option – load up with delicious deli bites and crackers, and let everyone dig in.

Easy dinner party canapés

Choose a simple bite you can serve with drinks when guests arrive – warm a pack of blinis and serve with simple toppings.

Smashed avocado, prawns and a squeeze of lime.
Smoked salmon and truffle mayonnaise.
Chorizo crisps with herby labneh dip.

Canapé recipe ideas

Dinner party main course ideas

Prep-ahead main courses that can be ready in the oven for when guests arrive. Try a classic moussaka, oozy French onion pasta bake, or lasagne.
A roast chicken, served with seasonal salads and sides.
A Middle Eastern-inspired mezze feast.
Slow-cooked duck with Chinese-style pancakes and a quick spring onion and cucumber salad.

More hands-off recipe ideas

Dinner party theme ideas

Theme your dinner party around a cuisine, an event or even your favourite ingredient. Try these playful ideas.

1. Italian feast

Start with a spritz and antipasti and prosciutto, your favourite pasta recipe and a tiramisu washed down with Italian wines.

2. Pizza night

Pick up some Plain Woodfired Pizza Bases and Classic Tomato Everything sauce, then let everyone get creative with their choice of toppings for an easy, fun pizza party.

3. Bao bun bonanza

Load fluffy bao buns with slow-cooked pork belly and a zingy slaw, or try these easy bao bun filling ideas.

4. British seasonal feast

Read our guide to what’s in season, and frame all your dishes around this.

5. American-inspired comfort food

Serve this barbecue pork platter, made with our shortcut Slow Cooked Carolina Pork Shoulder, alongside oozy mac and cheese and a crunchy slaw.

6. Middle Eastern-style mezze

Serve a spread of loaded houmous, sprouts with labneh, and honey-baked feta with fluffy flatbreads.

7. Mexican taco night

Welcome guests with a hot honey margarita, then load tacos with crispy cod, orange salsa and chipotle mayo.

More recipe inspiration

Dinner party hosting tips

Make ahead. Choose dishes you can prep in advance, then finish with fresh herbs and a spritz of lemon before serving.
Mix ready-made and homemade. Opt for some speedy shortcuts, like our fuss-free Slow Cooked range or easy party bites – to cut down on fuss.
Keep it simple. Your guests won’t thank you for being stuck in the kitchen, so choose recipes you're confident in, made with good quality ingredients – think oozy burrata with clementines, a simple bowl of truffle pasta, or sizzling chicken tacos.
Serve some food at room temperature. Things like salads, cooked grains or roasted veg can be made ahead and served at room temperature – it will bring out the flavour and save you trouble.

Quick and easy recipes

Easy dinner party cocktails

A prosecco cocktail will always go down well. Make them extra special by adding a pinch of our Magic and Sparkle Dust, which gives drinks and desserts a glittering, sparkly finish.

If you're serving cocktails, keep it simple – try a splash of crème de cassis topped up with cava, or choose cocktails based on your theme, whether that’s a tropical take on a Margarita, a zingy grapefruit and blood orange gin spritz, a jug of summery sangria or a low-alcohol grapefruit Collins.

Selection of glasses of wine and bottles

Best wines for a dinner party

M&S head of beers, wines and spirits Caroline Thompson-Hill chooses her go-to picks.

“I always have a bottle of our Collection Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG in the fridge at parties,” says Caroline. “It’s a real crowd-pleaser.”
“Our Classics No.20 Côtes du Rhône Villages is packed with juicy flavours – it’s an excellent and versatile choice with party food.”
Serving seafood? “Try our Collection Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Organic. Its clean, fruity notes of melon and apple are a match made in heaven with fresh shellfish.”
With red meat, “an elegant red, such as our Collection Moueix Saint Emilion, has plump plums and spiced red fruit flavours that come to life when served with beef, lamb or strong cheeses.”

Browse wine in store

Easy desserts for your dinner party

Choose a dessert you can prep ahead, like this quick amaretti tiramisu recipe, which is presented in individual glasses for minimum fuss with maximum impact.
For the ultimate quick-but-impressive dinner party pudding that can be made on the night, warm white chocolate with limoncello then pour over frozen berries.
Skip the cooking and opt for a wow-worthy pre-made frozen dessert, like our all-butter Sicilian Lemon Tart.

Dessert recipes

Published 10.20.2025