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The City Dinner

The idea

That you get to know other residents of your city in a pleasant and relaxed way that you would not otherwise meet. The idea of the city dinner is that you get a better feeling for your city and its residents as you have a clearer picture of it. You can best form such a picture during a relaxed dinner, hence the City Dinner

The setup

You can register via this site to join the city dinner. The idea is that you invite a second person to the City Dinner. The idea is to get a group that is as representative as possible, compared to the city. Take that into account when choosing your guest... and don't bring your twin brother.

What kind of person can you take with you?

You can bring someone you know, such as your neighbour or a friend who likes to get to know other people. It is more challenging and fun to invite a stranger, someone whose thoughts and ideas concern you but who you would otherwise not get to know… Maybe even someone you would never have dared to approach. It could be the baker, or a loitering teenager, or your downstairs neighbour of forty, or that granny who always stands at the tram stop in the morning. You name it. But be careful: it is not a date dinner, but a City Dinner. You will not be sitting at a table with your guest alone, but at a table for six or eight. Make this clear to any strangers when you invite them to avoid misunderstandings.

And who pays?

The problems our city is currently facing require a clear signal, also from us, its residents. The danger of escalation and alienation concerns us all. That is why we would like to ask you to pay the bill yourself. We keep the costs as low as possible by selecting cheap restaurants for the dinners. It is also possible that restaurants give us a discount, or that there are sponsors who want to pay part of the bill... Register now via the system by clicking on the city in question and stating your name, e-mail, origin, and telephone number. Please note: It is important to be present on time for the City Dinner. Due to limited places for the City Dinner, we request that you register for this special meeting. The names of your guests must also be stated!

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Good food is just the beginning in our restaurant. In addition to dishes created by the best chefs in town, our restaurant also offers a cheerful and exciting atmosphere.

  • Familiarity breeds love

    'Unknown makes unloved' and 'what the farmer doesn't know, he doesn't eat' are old Dutch sayings, but not necessarily good examples. The idea behind the City Dinner is that you get a better feel for your city and its inhabitants the clearer your image of it is. And you can do that by eating with strangers. On Tuesday evening, December 7, a number of tables were reserved in the 'Keuken van 1870' on the Spuistraat in Amsterdam. Everyone who had registered had to bring a stranger, at least not a friend or family member. And also pay for the food for that person.

  • First the puppy, then the food

    You can register via this site to join the city dinner. The idea is that you invite a second person to the City Dinner. The idea is to get a group that is as representative as possible, compared to the city. Take that into account when choosing your guest... and don't bring your twin brother.

  • Set the bar high

    You can bring someone you know, such as your neighbour or a friend who likes to get to know other people. It is more challenging and fun to invite a stranger, someone whose thoughts and ideas concern you but who you would otherwise not get to know… Maybe even someone you would never have dared to approach. It could be the baker, or a youngster hanging out in East, or your downstairs neighbour of forty, or that grandma who always stands at the tram stop in the morning. You name it. But be careful: it is not a date dinner, but a City Dinner. You will not be sitting at a table with your guest alone, but at a table for six or eight. Make this clear to any strangers when you invite them to avoid misunderstandings.

MORE CITY DINNERS

  • A sequel to the City Dinner

    One table reported the day after the City Dinner that they had already found a restaurant that wanted to host a city dinner at a greatly reduced rate. That group also wants to set up something around Christmas. The idea has also caught on outside Amsterdam: a city dinner will be organized in Zaanstad before Christmas.

  • Want to join?

    Would you also like to join us for dinner and bring a guest? Check the website to see when and where the next City Dinner will be and what the plan is. Everyone can register directly on the website. You can also organise a City or Village Dinner yourself. Book a restaurant, spread a call in community centres, supermarkets or via email and ensure that people can register somewhere. If your dinner follows the basic idea of the city dinner, a registration button for your dinner can be placed on the website.