When I decided to dine with strangers, that’s exactly how I felt about myself. I used an app called “Time Left” which matches you with five like-minded people based on your answers to a questionnaire. You’ll be asked about things like your field of work, age, relationship status, religion, and more. The app is worldwide, so you can try it just about anywhere. After entering your location, it gives you options for neighborhoods where you will dine. You can then select a price range for the restaurant, and Time Left will provide you with a list of available dates and times—every dinner takes place on a Wednesday.
The day before your dinner, the app tells you the industries of your fellow diners, and on the morning of your dinner, you find out which restaurant you’ll be meeting at and during the dinner you find out where the afterparty is located.
Now that we’ve got the logistics out of the way, let me tell you about my experience and why I decided to give it a shot. Honestly, I thought it would be a fun adventure since I enjoy meeting new people. Plus, it seemed like something different that would make for a good blog topic. I chose a mid-level restaurant in the Capitol Hill/Navy Yard neighborhood. To my surprise, the chosen spot was Ted’s Bulletin—definitely not on my bingo card! I immediately regretted choosing a mid-tier option, but I’m a “go with the flow” kind of girl, so I went anyway.
Nothing against Ted’s Bulletin; it just wouldn’t have been my first pick for a dinner spot. After circling the block for what felt like 20-30 minutes, I almost hit my “I’m done parking in DC” threshold and considered going home. But then, by some miracle, a parking space opened up right in front of the restaurant. I parked, went inside, and met my fellow diners.
To my relief, everyone was incredibly kind. The conversation flowed easily as we talked about work, our favorite TV shows and movies, where everyone was from, and more. But if I’m being totally honest, I was curious about what made Time Left pair us together. I didn’t have much in common with anyone at the table, aside from maybe our age and a shared field of work with two of the diners. It kind of felt like a work happy hour. No one looked like me, and I found it a little tough to fully be myself.
There was an afterparty at a bar nearby where everyone from the Time Left dinners around the city met up, but I didn’t stick around for that.
All in all, I think it’s a great concept for people looking to make new friends, explore potential connections, or network. I probably won’t do it again, but if you enjoy meeting new people, I’d say it’s worth a try.
Let me know in the comments if you’d give it a go!
That sounds so cool! Very adventurous, maybe I’ll try the app too.
You should do it!!!