Dinner Party for 8 guests
A sit-down dinner party for 8: 6 dishes, about 745 g of food a guest (13.25 lb in all), 30 lines on the shopping list and around 35 drinks. 40% of the cooking can happen before the day.
- Dishes
- 6
- Food
- 13.25 lb
- Drinks
- 35
- Shopping lines
- 30
Sized by the planning engine
The menu, amounts and kitchen check
- · We set food for 7 PM — change it if your timing is different.
Menu for 8
Starters
- Warm toasts, seasonal topping1.5 batches · 12 servingson the day
Mains
- Chickpea & squash tagine1.5 batches · 9 servingsday before
Sides
- Cold green salad, sharp dressing1 batch · 8 servingson the day
- Butter lettuce with green goddess and seed crunch1 batch · 8 servingson the day
Bread
- Rosemary focaccia, torn1 batch · 10 servingson the day
Dessert
- Lemon posset1.5 batches · 12 servingsday before
About 745 g of food a guest. 40% of the cooking can be done before the day.
Shopping highlights
- Butter lettuce4 ea
- Citrus for garnish2 ea
- Garlic2 clove
- Lemon8 ea
- Mixed herbs1.3 cup
- Onion4 ea
- Rosemary1 bunch
- Salad leaves15 oz
- Seasonal topping1.8 lb
- Squash5 lb
10 of 30 lines. The full list comes with the plan.
Kitchen check
Comfortable
Checked against a starting kitchen of 1 oven and 4 burners — not yours yet. Seats are not counted here: the planner asks for your real number rather than guessing it.
Drinks and cost
- Drinks, all kinds
- 35
- Ice
- 20 lb
- Food, estimated
- $211
About $26 a guest — a planning estimate from typical supermarket costs, not a price.
Countdown
The dinner party timeline, condensed
3 weeks before
- · Invite guests and ask about dietary needs at the same time.
- · Plan a menu with one dish that needs last-minute attention, at most.
1 week before
- · Finalise the menu and write a cooking schedule backwards from dinner.
- · Buy wine and pantry items.
2 days before
- · Do the main shop.
- · Make the braise; it is better after a night in the fridge.
Day before
- · Make dessert, dressings and any sauces.
- · Assemble the gratin and chill it.
Day of
- · Buy flowers and bread.
- · Bake the gratin and reheat the braise to finish together.
Day after
- · Wash glasses and serving dishes.
- · Turn leftover braise into a pasta sauce.
Other sizes
Dinner party for more or fewer
Questions hosts ask
How much food for a dinner party for 8?
About 13.25 lb of finished food, or 745 g a guest across 6 dishes, with chickpea & squash tagine as the main. The amounts are sized by the planning engine and include a small margin.
Should a dinner party for 8 be a buffet or a sit-down meal?
A sit-down meal works for 8 if you have a chair for everyone. Count your seats first — the planner never assumes them — and switch to a buffet if you are short.
How many drinks for a dinner party for 8?
About 35 drinks across the party, including alcohol-free ones, and 20 lb of ice.
How far ahead should I start planning?
Start 3 weeks before: invite guests and ask about dietary needs at the same time, and plan a menu with one dish that needs last-minute attention, at most.
What does a dinner party for 8 cost?
The food in this plan comes to roughly $211, about $26 a guest. That is a planning estimate from typical US supermarket costs, not a price for your shop.
Plan my dinner party for 8
Tell us about your kitchen, your seats and anyone's food needs, and the menu, shopping list and timeline redraw around them.
Start planning