Although the term “dinner with a stranger” may sound like a title of a book or film, it is actually a trend that is rapidly gaining in popularity. Polish website “Eataway” reminds us that dining is something more than a meal, and that a true feast provides us not only with culinary, but also social experiences.
The Internet makes it possible to establish relationships with people from all around the world. It is becoming increasingly popular to arrange a car travel on the Internet and share the costs. When travelling around the world, you can also enjoy free of service lodging provided to you by hospitable hosts who invite travellers to sleep on their couches (couchsurfing). Now the time has come for social dining – sharing meals with others and inviting them for dinner at your own house.
Table-surfing
Eataway is a website created by Marta Bradshaw who lives in Kraków. Marta prepared her first dinner for strangers in spring 2015, and since then hundreds of people have visited her dining room, while the idea has spread outside Małopolska and reached other cities in both Poland and abroad. The rules are simple – one person prepares chosen dishes (often regional ones) and invites tourists or people interested in tasting
new dishes in the company of strangers for a meal. Booking takes place via eataway.com. After paying the necessary costs for the dinner, the guests receive a voucher with a confirmation and an invitation. The offer includes not only Polish but also Indian or Korean dishes prepared by foreigners who live in Poland.
More than a meal
Dinners prepared by citizens of Kraków (or other cities – Warszawa, Wrocław, Prague or Bratislava) are the best way to get to know traditional cuisine and make new friends. Although the meetings take place in a friendly and relaxed environment, the hosts make sure that the quality and standard of the served dishes is supreme. You don’t have to be a professional chef to invite people via the website – passion and love for cooking count the most. What is the advantage of EatAway and Eatwith, VizEat, BonAppetour and Feastly over meals served in restaurants?
It’s the possibility to interact with people living in a particular city. Dining together brings people closer – at the table, it’s easier to open up and start a conversation that allows to exchange experiences and make direct contact with a previously unknown culture. It’s often said that loneliness is becoming an epidemic. Social dining allows you to experience priceless and authentic sensations in a world where it’s getting harder and harder to open to new relationships.
