Introducing Kat, one of our members going to her TableCrowd first dinner. Read on to find out how it was for her…

Naturally, as a novice I was always going to be nervous about my first ‘TableCrowd’ experience… meeting a group of complete strangers when you’re new to town can be daunting! Luckily for me, any nervousness disappeared as I entered Boulevard Brasserie, a charming French restaurant nestled in the heart of Covent Garden. Welcomed by the delightful waiting staff, I was shown to my table and met my fellow diners, who immediately put me at ease with their warmth and openness.

After some initial chit-chat, the restaurant’s buzzing atmosphere and prospect of an evening full of good food, wine, and company meant we all relaxed and really started to enjoy the evening. Our waiter had mastered a perfect mix of attentiveness and space, and was very helpful when it came to picking out a wine. Unfortunately my northern upbringing means I know little or nothing about vino; not a problem though, as Christiane and Patrick (the French and Italian diners amongst us) were adamant we try a little number from either of their native countries. A little help from the charming waiter meant the wine – as well as the conversion – was flowing in no time.

As the food arrived (sea bass with mangetout and pesto… beautifully prepared and presented with true French style!), we were never short of things to talk about, and the great mix of people meant there were plenty of stories and experiences to share. Whether we were discussing the place of social media within the 21st century, or the Hungarian way of drinking tequila (it’s taken with paprika and mandarin, apparently; Suzanne was quick to mention that this tastes disgusting! You’ve been warned… stick to lime and salt), we were never lost for words. Most surprisingly, common ground was found in our mutual love of Pimp My Ride (yes, that high quality MTV show where rapper Xzibit gives old cars an extreme make over! What’s not to love?!)

The highlight of the evening had to be when Jay, our TableCrowd veteran, made us stand up in the middle of the restaurant to play ‘Heads or Tales’, a fairly energetic game that involves putting your hands on your head or your hips, then flicking a coin to knock out players. If you pick incorrectly, you’re out of the running – trust me, it’s a ruthless elimination process! With the prospect of chocolate up for grabs however, the ladies around the table were very keen to give this a go… and when chocolate’s involved, it gets very competitive! Luckily Christiane, Suzanne and I won some delightful Halloween-themed chocolate, and Jay even provided a gift for our loser in the form of a ‘Fiendish Fancy’… although Halloween may be over a month away, we were all thrilled with Jay’s kindness.

As the night came to an end, we enjoyed a final limoncello nightcap, said fond goodbyes and promised to meet again soon. I was overwhelmed with contentment as we went our separate ways, reminiscing about the evening’s more entertaining moments and the lovely people I had met. Great ambience, friendly waiting staff, and lovely food were a bonus, but it was the people that made the night truly enjoyable. Let’s face it, tasty food, good wine and excellent company is a winning combination any day of the week!

Want to meet Kat at a future dinner? Why not connect with her on TableCrowd here.