ToShareAMeal

Start with the meal.
Meet people you'd
want to see again.

Small tablesReal conversationsMeet again

Create a Meal Seed, let others tap "Me too," and share a table. If the vibe is right, fork the meal or turn it into a Circle for future dinners, drinks, and NYC experiences.

Explore Meals

How a table comes together

  1. Share an ideaCreate a Meal Seed
  2. Others tap + Me tooJoin the table
  3. Fork it or make a CircleMeet again
Illustrative café scene with three coffees and pastries beside a neighborhood window
Suggested table · not yet started

New to NYC? Coffee before we explore Nolita

Nolita · Time to be decided · $ · 4 seats

Just share a meal

EWG VERIFIED® Pop-Up NYC

SoHo · Oct 17–Oct 18 · 11:00 AM–5:00 PM · $20 admission/donation · Public event

✨ Pop-up / activation🔥 Limited drop⏳ Ends tomorrow

📍 188 Lafayette St, SoHo, New York

✨ Side Quest

0 added this to their plans · 0 looking for people to go with

Create a Meal Seed

What are you up for?
More options
Is this a limited-time happening?

Optional — for pop-ups, drops, collabs, openings, exhibits, cooking classes, tasting events, food workshops, chef demos, beverage tastings & market tours.

What's this Meal Seed for?

Choose up to two.

Venue (optional)
Neighborhoods
Time
Let people vote on time & area
Budget
Table size
diners

Most groups like this work best at 4–8. Up to 10.

+ Add table preferences (optional)

All optional. These are preferences shared with the table — not a guarantee about the venue or the food.

Dietary preferences
Allergies or food restrictions

Shared so the table can plan around it. This is not a guarantee that the venue or the food is allergen-safe.

Table language

Language names are always shown in English.

Accessibility needs

Shared with the table. We can't confirm that a venue is accessible.

Table context

Broad context only — no age filtering.

I'm
People tap + Me too to joinFork it into another table

NYC Table Pulse

See what people are gathering around this week.

View full leaderboard →
NYC is just getting started — start a table and help shape this week's pulse.

Meet through shared meals and experiences — not dating. ToShareAMeal is a friendship and community platform, not a dating service. All participants must respect personal boundaries. Use Report or Block on any table or Side Quest page. In immediate danger, call 911 first. Community Safety Rules

Safety tips for meeting new people

Looking for right now

Tell us what you're up for — we'll surface good fits

Pick one or two to try it. It lasts only for this visit and isn't saved.

    0/2 for this visit

    No hosting burden

    Start with the meal.
    We handle the rest.

    Perfect for shareable meals

    Hotpot, dim sum, BBQ,
    tasting platters & more.

    Great for locals & travelers

    Meaningful connections
    through food and culture.

    All MealsTonightThis WeekendHotpotBBQDim SumBrunchTasting Menus
    See all meals
    Illustrative café scene with three coffees and pastries beside a neighborhood windowSuggested table · not yet started

    New to NYC? Coffee before we explore Nolita

    Nolita · Time to be decided · $ · 4 seats

    Just share a meal
    Idea — not started yet
    Illustrative dim sum spread with open bamboo steamers, rice rolls and shared dishesSuggested table · not yet started

    Dim sum crawl, carts and conversation

    Chinatown · Sun 9:21 AM · $ · 4 seats

    Just share a meal
    Idea — not started yet
    Korean BBQ grill with meats and banchanSuggested table · not yet started

    Korean BBQ, table of four, Friday reset

    Koreatown · Sat 6:21 PM · $$ · 4 seats

    Just share a meal
    Idea — not started yet
    Latte with latte art on a café tableSuggested table · not yet started

    Founder coffee, three chairs, honest questions

    Greenwich Village · Tue 7:21 AM · $ · 3 seats

    Just share a meal
    Idea — not started yet

    🔥 Happening in NYC

    View all

    Things to do between meals — drops, collabs & pop-ups worth doing together.

    Showing 6 of 28

    Open Powerhouse Arts — Crafternoons

    Powerhouse Arts — Crafternoons

    Gowanus · Oct 3 · Oct 17 · Nov 14 · 1–4pm · Price varies · 3 people

    ✨ Pop-up / activation⏳ Starts today

    • Sat, Oct 17
    • Sat, Nov 14

    📍 322 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY

    Official info ↗

    ✨ Side Quest

    0 added this to their plans · 0 looking for people to go with
    Open HAOR First Anniversary

    HAOR First Anniversary

    Nolita · Oct 14–Oct 18 · Times vary · Free · Public event

    ✨ Pop-up / activation

    • Oct 14–Oct 17 · 11:00 AM–7:00 PM
    • Sun, Oct 18 · 11:00 AM–5:00 PM

    📍 21 Spring St, Nolita, New York

    ✨ Side Quest

    0 added this to their plans · 0 looking for people to go with
    Open reSOUND New York — reSENSE

    reSOUND New York — reSENSE

    Midtown · Through Oct 18 · Price varies · 3 people

    🖼 Limited-time exhibit⏳ Ends tomorrow

    📍 HERO, Rockefeller Center, New York, NY

    Official info ↗

    ✨ Side Quest

    0 added this to their plans · 0 looking for people to go with
    Open Open House New York Weekend

    Open House New York Weekend

    All five boroughs · Oct 16–18 · 300+ sites · access varies · Public event

    🖼 Limited-time exhibit⏳ Ends tomorrow

    📍 Across all five NYC boroughs

    Official info ↗

    ✨ Side Quest

    0 added this to their plans · 0 looking for people to go with
    Open EWG VERIFIED® Pop-Up NYC

    EWG VERIFIED® Pop-Up NYC

    SoHo · Oct 17–Oct 18 · 11:00 AM–5:00 PM · $20 admission/donation · Public event

    ✨ Pop-up / activation🔥 Limited drop⏳ Ends tomorrow

    📍 188 Lafayette St, SoHo, New York

    ✨ Side Quest

    0 added this to their plans · 0 looking for people to go with
    Open Lanolips × ULTA Ceramide Café

    Lanolips × ULTA Ceramide Café

    West Village · Oct 17–Oct 18 · 8:00 AM–5:00 PM · Free · Public event

    ✨ Pop-up / activation⏳ Ends tomorrow

    📍 Bedford Studio, 62 Bedford St, West Village, New York

    ✨ Side Quest

    0 added this to their plans · 0 looking for people to go with

    Found something happening? Add a drop

    Tables near you

    Open the full map →

    Where a seat is open right now — pins are venues, never people.

    No open seats in this window yet — try “This week”.

    Travelers meet locals, naturally.

    Food brings people together. Culture, language, and neighborhood discovery follow. How travelers use ToShareAMeal

    1

    Say when you're in town

    Add your trip dates and the neighborhoods you'll be near. Nothing is shared until you join a table.

    2

    Plant or join a Meal Seed

    Pick a real restaurant and a time. Locals who want the same meal take a seat next to you.

    3

    The table forms itself

    Once enough diners join, the table is confirmed and everyone gets the plan — no host, no group chat wrangling.

    How it works

    Read the full walkthrough

    Drop a Meal Seed

    I want it w/ try this, restaurant or meal.

    Illustration of a phone creating a Meal Seed

    People tap + Me Too

    Others nearby join the idea.

    + Me TooIllustration of three people tapping Me Too on their phones

    We form the table

    When 3–4 diners match, the meal is ready.

    Illustration of diners meeting at a table

    Share the meal Meet again

    Enjoy great food and see if the vibe is right.

    Illustration of friends sharing dishes

    Start a Circle

    If it clicks, turn your table into a Circle for future dinners, drinks, and NYC experiences.

    Illustration of a small group of friends

    Try shareable meals

    Discover foods that are better together.

    Hotpot, dim sum, tasting platters, family-style & more.

    Friends sharing a bubbling hotpot with plates of meat, vegetables and sauces

    Meet through food

    Sit with locals or travelers, share stories, practice languages, discover neighborhoods.

    Illustration of two people eating noodles across a table

    Turn a table into a Circle

    If people click, keep meeting through dinners, drinks, and NYC experiences.

    Your Circle

    Nan Xiang Monthly

    Brunch in Brooklyn

    Sat 11:00 AM

    ♡ Your Circle

    Dumplings

    Adventures

    From one table to a Circle

    Circles are a lightweight way to make another table together — not another social network to maintain. Learn about Circles

    Share a meal

    Start with a small table and good food.

    Choose who you'd like to meet again

    Connect with the people who click.

    Make another table

    The group can stay quietly in the background until you want it.

    Illustration of four friends sharing a meal with the New York City skyline behind them

    More ways to connect

    Tools that help you meet well — and make another table when it feels right.

    Meal DNA

    Take the quiz and discover your food archetype — then share your card. Free to try.

    Find your archetype

    Circle Match & Vibe Match

    See a short list of better-fit tables for your week, with clear reasons and no automatic commitments.

    See matching

    Personal Circles

    A lightweight way to make another table with people you enjoyed meeting.

    Learn about Circles

    Host tools

    Rhythms, check-ins and waitlists for people who bring tables together often.

    Open host tools

    From the blog

    Meeting people over food in New York

    All articles →

    Common questions

    What is ToShareAMeal?

    ToShareAMeal is a way to share a restaurant meal with a few other people in New York City. Someone plants a Meal Seed — a proposed meal at a venue, with a date and a table size — and other diners take the seats.

    Is ToShareAMeal a dating app?

    No. It is built around a shared meal, not matching for romance. There are no swipes, no likes and no dating profiles; you see a table, a time and how many seats are left.

    Can I join if I come alone?

    Yes, and most people do. Every seat is taken individually, so arriving alone is the normal way to use ToShareAMeal.

    Do I need to already know anyone?

    No. You do not need an invitation or an existing friend at the table. You pick a meal that suits you and take a seat.

    What happens if not enough people join?

    The table simply does not go ahead, and nobody is left waiting at a restaurant. A table that loses a diner after it is ready opens a Seat Rescue so someone else can take the seat; a table that never fills quietly expires.

    How it works →Safety →All questions and answers →

    LOCAL DISCOVERY · SPONSORED ACTIVITIES

    Have a place, event or experience worth discovering?

    Explore proposed paid promotion formats for local discovery. Create a listing with images, details and a proposed promotion package.

    Promote Your Business

    LET’S CREATE SOMETHING TOGETHER

    Good things happen around the table.

    Your place. Your brand. Your cause. Give New Yorkers more reasons to discover, show up, and connect through shared meals and local experiences.

    Explore Partnerships

    Start with the meal. Meet again.
    Build your Circle naturally.