Dinner party etiquette
What it really means
The basics: arrive 5-15 minutes after the stated time with a small gift, offer to help (they'll say no), compliment the food, and stay for a while after eating — leaving straight after dessert seems abrupt. Offer to help wash up; the host will refuse, but the offer matters. A thank-you message the next day completes it.
Context, tips & common mistakes
The choreography: arrive ten to fifteen minutes after the stated time (never early), hand over a bottle of wine or flowers at the door, and accept the offered drink. Offer to help in the kitchen — expect 'no no, sit down!' — and compliment the food specifically at least once ('this chicken is gorgeous'). Seconds are a compliment; finishing your plate is another. Phones stay away from the table.
The departure has its own rules: guests initiate leaving (hosts never eject), typically 10.30–11 on a weeknight, announced well before executed — the goodbye process lasting twenty minutes is standard. Within a day or two, send the thank-you message. The reciprocity clock then starts ticking gently: an invitation eventually returned, or drinks or a restaurant proposed instead, keeps the friendship in balance. Dietary requirements are declared when invited, never sprung at the table.