How many people should I invite for dinner?

Don't invite more guests than you can handle. Look at how much space you have around the table. And yes, you need a table to host a dinner party. We've all been to a dinner party where we can't move but that's acceptable only at holiday time with family.

Assess your table. With food, candles and a bottle of wine how many people can comfortably sit there? Are you serving your dinner family style? In which case you're going to need extra room for the dishes of food. However, I find bringing plated meals from the kitchen can be less awkward for guests than fumbling with serving dishes and quantities. Remember though in each case the challenges of keeping the food hot.

Thin sturdy chairs with high backs are optimal because they allow guests to exit to the powder room and sit comfortably and move their arms around at the table.

Reasonably ask yourself how many people you can fit at the table given these conditions. That's how many people you can invite to a dinner party no more and no less. If you want to have more people you're going to have to throw a cocktail party instead. 

Don't worry if you can only afford a modest table. We don't need nice things we just want them. The important thing is that your guests are made comfortable by your manner, always be a warm host.

In my experience more than eight people at a dinner party makes the conversation too hard to manage; the dinner will be a series of separate conversations rather than one table talking together. It's most pleasant if everyone can participate in the dinner conversation because then no one is left sandwiched between two chats.

So a table that seats eight comfortably is optimal, but invite less people over if you have less room.

Do invite people, even if you live in a cosy little place, you can host your best friend… we explain how here. If you have housemates, you can always invite them to keep things less awkward. There's no reason not to cook for people!

It can be really easy when you make something easy that tastes good like Super Fast and Easy Curried Chicken Salad.