How to host the perfect dinner party

Daunted by having to do a Delia to impress your dinner guests? Have nothing on Nigella when it comes to nibbles? Then look no further than our top tips for pulling off the perfect party and become a diva of the dining room.

By Justine Maybank

Forget the formalities
Unless you're planning on pulling in some royals, don't create a fanfare and make it too formal. Your guests won't be expecting your maisonette to turn in to a Michelin star restaurant. So spare them the silver service and opt for something a little more relaxing.

Go easy on the guests
Remember you're having a dinner party and not hosting a convention, so don't ask too many people just to prove you're popular. Between six to eight friends is a manageable number.

Plenty of planning
Elisabeth Wilson, author of Goddess: Be the Woman You Want To Be warns us to be unprepared at our peril: "The easy way is to be organised and plan everything. The hard way is to throw everything together at the last minute." Wilson recommends throwing your bash at the weekend so you always have a whole day to prepare.

Keep it simple
Everyone wants to be the hostess with the mostest but don't try and turn your culinary occasion in to a cooking contest. Keep things simple and there'll be less room for slip-ups. Avoid having to catch and kill anything before cooking and don't go for something that needs to be jugged or jellied unless you know your mouli from your Magimix. And always serve something you've had plenty of practise preparing. Elisabeth Wilson advises against any last minute meddling in the kitchen. ‘If you cook steak the chances are you'll have to do them to suit eight different people,' she says. ‘It's much easier to do a casserole'.

Regular or retro?
If you want to add a bit of a party atmosphere, think about a theme. You could go Bollywood with a curry or '70s with some cheesy tunes and pineapple (though avoid the wife swapping). It gets people talking and helps plan the menu.

Presentation perfect
With any meal, think about how you'll serve it. Soup will be a struggle when you only possess two spoons and spaghetti could prove impractical with only a steak knife. Top chefs swear by white plates to set off the food and a garnish can pep up any puny looking platter. And if you're serving veg, make sure it's of the baby variety

Take it easy
If the thought of tackling three courses with cheese and homemade truffles threatens a funny turn, take on a more relaxed approach. If you like it laid back just turn out two courses or even consider a communal plate where people help themselves.

Stress free summer
When the weather's warmer Geraldine Leventis, owner of celeb hangout Raoul's in Notting Hill, suggests serving plenty of salads. "Summer parties can be relatively stress-free and easier to prepare for, as summery food can be served cold and prepared well in advance." And that "means that the immediate run up to the dinner party can be spent catching up and having drinks with friends, instead of slaving over a stove."

Drinking dos and don'ts
Make sure you're drinks match the weather. With a bit of summer sun think about something light and chilled as an aperitif and don't forget those who prefer a less toxic tipple. Leventis always offers her guests "a chilled Rose wine" along with "some thirst-quenching elderflower fizz as a non alcoholic alternative". And don't leave your guests downing the drinks for longer than an hour before dinner. There's nothing worse than someone drunkenly dribbling in to your dauphinoise. On the same note, remember everyone loves a bon viveur but not one carrying burnt offerings. So avoid doing shots of cooking sherry while you're preparing the dinner.

Manage the mood
You've tackled the table and the tipples but don't forget the lighting. Candles are always perfect for lifting the mood. And, according to Wilson, they can "hide a multitude of sins".

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