Safety
A practical guide to meeting people safely over a shared meal
By ToShareAMeal ·
Short answer
Meet in a public venue at a normal hour, keep the group small, share only what you are comfortable sharing, arrange your own transport, and leave whenever you want. On ToShareAMeal tables are meant for public venues — named when the Seed is planted, or chosen by the table before the meal — public listings show only a first initial and avatar rather than names or contact details, and any diner can report behaviour for moderator review.
Structure does most of the work
A meal with strangers is safer than most first meetings because of where and how it happens: a public restaurant, staff present, a defined start and end, and several people rather than two.
Keep that structure intact. Meet at the venue rather than somewhere else first, and keep the first meeting to the meal itself.
Practical habits
None of these are unusual; they are just worth doing every time.
- Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.
- Arrange your own way there and your own way home.
- Keep an eye on your own drink and order what you want to order.
- Share contact details only when you want to, after the meal.
- Leave early, without explanation, if you are uncomfortable.
What the product does and does not do
Public listings show the venue, time, meal type and seat counts, plus a first initial and avatar for the diners seated — not full names, contact details or messages. Table chat opens when the table is ready and you only see messages from the point you joined.
Diners attest to being adults, tables are meant for public venues, and reports go to our moderators, who can act on accounts. We do not run background checks or criminal-record screening and we do not vouch for any diner or venue. A profile can carry an identity-verified badge where that evidence exists, but a badge is not a guarantee — treat other diners as you would any new acquaintance.
Reporting
If something is wrong — before, during or after a meal — report it from the table or the meal page. Reports are reviewed by moderators, and conduct expectations are written down rather than implied.
Frequently asked questions
- Can other people see who has joined a table before I sign in?
- Signed-out discovery shows the venue, time, meal type and seat counts, plus a first initial and avatar for each diner seated. It does not show full names, contact details or messages.
- Does ToShareAMeal verify identity or run background checks?
- We do not run background checks or criminal-record screening, and we do not vouch for any diner. Diners attest that they are adults, and a profile can carry an identity-verified badge where that evidence exists — treat it as one signal, not a guarantee.