Ditch the Dinner Party—Host an At-Home Cafe Instead

Dinner party season can be overwhelming, and sometimes, overrated. With the stress of preparing multiple courses of food, serving drinks, and crafting a thoughtful table setup, it can feel too uptight and complicated. And so I present to you a method of hosting that defies the formality of the dinner party (and my new favorite way to have friends over): at-home cafes.

At-home cafes have been all over our social media feeds since May, but the holiday season is the perfect time for rethinking the way you have friends over. Now, you can make up for all those times you told people you’d grab a cup of coffee with them—in the comfort of your own home.

The concept: Curate the vibe of your favorite coffee shop inside your house. Everyone has their own take on it, but here are a few of the elements we think are necessary for hosting the coziest at-home cafe possible:

1. Make a Low-Maintenance Beverage Menu

If you don’t have an espresso machine, do not fret! Craft a menu for your "customers" that’s realistic to the appliances you already have, then have fun with it. You can get creative with that french press hidden in the back of your pantry, a trusty frother, and a variety of teas. Moka pots are an easy way to make large amounts of espresso if your guests insist, and you can batch other cafe staples like a chai concentrate.

For an extra special touch, draw up your cafe menu on a piece of big butcher block paper and put it up on the wall; you can even design your own logo or color scheme.

2. Prepare Syrups, Flavors, or Other Complicated Ingredients Beforehand

Especially if you’re hosting for the holidays, the possibilities are endless and quite easy. Most syrups at coffee shops, which will usually rack up a two dollar upcharge, are made with ingredients you probably have in your pantry. Think: gingerbread syrup, pumpkin sauce, and sugar cookie syrup. It’s incredibly easy to batch-make these flavored upgrades by adding an extra something to a simple syrup recipe and its guaranteed to wow your friends with your barista skills.

If you want to get fancy, you can make cold brew, iced tea, or any other iced beverage you might order at a coffee shop the night before and just store it in your fridge.

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3. Bake your favorite baked goods in advance

For a true coffee shop vibe, the kind where you loiter with friends at a little table with an overpriced pastry and chilled drink for way too long, baked goods are recommended but not required. If you’re committed to the bit, you can put your baker's hat on and whip up some cardamom buns, croissants, or salty maple milk buns to set out on the table. A more low maintenance route would be baking cookies, muffins, or banana bread… or just pre-ordering a box of pastries from your favorite bakery. (We won’t tell!)

4. Curate the environment

People’s favorite coffee shops aren’t their favorite just because of the coffee. Don’t underestimate the power of a little mise en scène. Examples: a soft, velvety jazz album playing on a record player in the background, the couch and table slightly rearranged to fit more people, your favorite candle lit, color-coordinated napkins, perhaps little order cards for guests to fill out for you (and eventually take home as keepsakes). Just because you’re not hosting a traditional dinner party doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with decorations or make the event themed.

5. Take out the fancy stuff!

Like dinner parties, fancy plates and cutlery can be overrated. Now’s the time to show off your funky mug collection and match them to each of your friends' personalities. All those teacups and matching teacup plates hiding in the back of your pantries? Take them out! If holiday themed, you could give each of your guests a special mug and get your gift-giving out of the way for the season.

Don’t stop there: at-home cocktail bar, wine bar, or teahouse—the possibilities are endless (and a lot less high maintenance than a whole dinner party setup).