I wanted to meet some new people. I love my friends, but I also want to keep making room for people I haven’t met yet. Different lives, different stories, someone else’s dating horror stories to make a change from my own. So I booked a Timeleft dinner.
I wanted a solo date, but not on my own. That might sound contradictory, but it makes perfect sense to me. I wanted to choose something, book it and go, without needing someone to come with me.
I’ve been twice now, both on a Wednesday in the London Bridge area, and I’m a convert. The food was good and the company was better, and I will absolutely do it again.
Booking was easy, you sign up, choose your activity, area and preferred date, and the app does the rest. I picked the middle restaurant budget option both times and the exact details came through the day before, including which table to ask for. The restaurant knew we were coming, so I knew where I was going and what to say when I arrived.
Was I nervous? A little. You’re going to have dinner with people you’ve never met, of course there’s a bit of wondering what they’ll be like and whether you’ll have anything to say, but meeting new people involves meeting new people, hard to get away from that.
My first dinner was with a group of women around my age. You can’t control who you will meet, but the app uses your answers to help match the group. We came from different backgrounds, had different jobs and family lives, and there was so much to talk about: children, travel, menopause, what we were doing next and, naturally, dating horror stories. Apparently I’m not alone in having a few of those.
Several of the women had been before, which helped as they were comfortable, everyone was open, and the conversation flowed. It was a lovely reminder that you can sit down with people you didn’t know an hour ago and find yourself sharing quite freely about life.
The second time, our group was two men and three women. Again, it was easy, we talked about our lives and plans, enjoyed the food and had a nice evening together. Going back gave me a different group and another good experience, which is why I’m happy to recommend giving it a go. Have I made any lasting friendships yet? No. I’d love that to happen, but it isn’t guaranteed, and I haven’t come away disappointed because of it, I had two good evenings with interesting people, that was worth doing in itself.
I think we can put quite a lot of pressure on trying something new. Will I make friends? Will it be worth it? What if I feel awkward? All fair questions, but sometimes I just want to go out, have a good conversation and enjoy myself. It doesn’t have to become anything bigger to have been a good use of my Wednesday.
There is also a singles version, which I haven’t tried yet. These were social dinners, and that suited what I wanted, new people, and an evening out.
If you fancy it, have a look at what’s available near you. I can’t promise you’ll meet your new best friend. I haven’t yet, but I can tell you that I enjoyed both evenings enough to want another one.
I spent £30 each evening on a meal and a drink, on top of the separate cost of using Timeleft. That was with the middle restaurant budget option, so your bill will depend on where you go and what you order. Check the current membership price in the app before booking; the food and drinks are paid for separately.
Give it a go. I’m glad I did.
Loretta x
