Although latched onto by cool, creative foodie types in the late noughties, the supper club story extends further back in time – most notably to the US in the 1930s when underground dinner parties emerged as a reaction to prohibition regulations. Attendees spent the whole evening in one venue: eating, drinking, talking, dancing. Nations across the world have their own iterations but the common thread is the same.
Half restaurant, half dinner party (restaurant in that you pay; dinner party in that you can’t order and will likely be seated next to strangers), the concept has evolved significantly over the past decade. No longer is it a hush-hush evening with food cooked by an enthusiastic amateur: today’s iteration comes with polish – a printed menu, a sturdy social media following, food cooked by a well-known chef, and often a far bigger price-per-head than the clubs of yesteryear.
Yet the core premise remains unchanged: you’re paying to sit among strangers, with a menu you have no say over. While that isn’t everyone’s idea of a good night out, for some the connections it fosters are invaluable – a new business link, an expansion of your friendship circle, or even the first spark of something more. Whatever happens, a good meal is all but guaranteed.
New York supper clubs to book now
The Supper Club
The Supper Club is one of NYC’s most exclusive, well – supper clubs. Hosted at a roster of venues across the city (and further afield nationwide), it operates on a members-only basis, with packages ranging from $2,500 per year for four events in one state to $10,000 for unlimited global access. Upcoming dinners include a pre-Met Gala meet at Crane Club; a Mediterranean-inspired meal at a secret city location; and an art-focused evening at Raf’s, hosted by Surface editor in chief, David Graver. More floating member’s club than a dinner booking, an approved application also comes with cocktail party invites, weekend getaways, and bespoke gift deliveries.
Ebi-Ayo
Goat cheese jollof risotto? Plantain and chicken pasta or perhaps a crème brûlée laced with Nigerian honey? These are but some of the inventive, cross-cultural dishes dreamed up by chef Tayo Ola, host of the Ebi-Ayo supper club. A deft fusion of Italian and Nigerian cuisines (Ola was born in Nigeria, but his first meal after relocating to Missouri was Italian), the menu reflects the shared warmth and community spirit of both culinary traditions. The events are open to the public, with twice-weekly dinners hosted in New York, LA, and Washington DC.
Schtick
Launched by Jacqueline Lobel, Schtick is a weekly Shabbat dinner that celebrates Jewish culinary culture. Previously nomadic, the supper club found a permanent home on the Lower East Side last year, with Lobel designing the space herself – citing a “sexy synagogue” as her unlikely interior reference point.The crowd of 60 guests is cool and clued up; the menu leans toward Jewish staples – Challah, latkes, schnitzel. At its core, Schtick is about community, so expect to leave with plenty of new contacts in your phone.
Heirloom Supper Club
Inside a chic Bushwick brownstone, foodie duo Julian Tineo and Madison Scott host monthly ticketed dinner parties with dishes served family style around a long candle-lit table. Billed as a supper club ‘for friends old and new,’ the evenings are centered on forging connections and sharing stories with like-minded individuals. The team explores a wide variety of culinary identities: the February edition dove into Polish cuisine, while the March dinner will serve food inspired by Dominica and Puerto Rica. While flavor comes first, Tineo and Scott clearly know that the modern world lives to serve the ‘gram, and so plates come photo ready.
Golden Cat
Seasoned chef Nicholas Tran has drawn on his experience working at the likes of three-Michelin-starred Quince in San Francisco and the New York’s own Gramercy Tavern to launch Golden Cat: a weekly (ish) supper club, arranged solely via social media. Tran’s menus transcend national culinary identities, forging weird and wonderful fusion dishes: mortadella gets teamed with Japanese pickles; pea agnolotti goes with Thai basil; and koji steak with garlic mole.
Burrow
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In a cosy Brooklyn apartment, ex-Eleven Madison Park chef Sammy Koolik is creating lengthy, multi-course feasts for guests at his intimate, high-brow supper club, Burrow. Launched in early 2025, tickets have routinely sold out – guests are drawn in by Koolik’s restaurant-grade, seasonally led dishes that dip into various nationalities. One night may be a New York strip steak with potato chips and a soy glaze; another a wild blackberry baked Alaska with mint oil.