A 1980s dinner party and do people still have them?

[Comedycook]

So I was reminiscing with my sister earlier.

Growing up in the 80s, our parents would host "proper" dinner parties.

The table would be set, prior to dinner, drinks and nibbles would be provided in the living room, a three course dinner would be served in the dining room, then afterwards more drinks would be served in the living room...brandies and whisky I presume.

The men would wear suits, children would be sent to bed or left with babysitters.

Do people still do this nowadays? When we get together with friends now, the whole evening is so informal in comparison. My parents dinner parties seem very grown up in comparison!

So just wondering if people still have "proper" dinner parties? Is it just very posh people or is it stuck firmly in the past?!

We mostly socialise with friends round for dinner and have multiple courses but we don't tend to move between rooms because most people have kitchen-diners now. And definitely no suits.

Were your parents Margot and Gerry? I like the
Sound of their soirees

We still do this and we do “retire” to the living room afterwards for a nightcap - makes it sound very stale and boring but they end up being quite rowdy affairs generally - and no suits but people tend to put a shirt/dress on. Live in London.

This sounds fun!

Yes, we often host proper dinner parties.

DM would do them. She'd cheat and use M&S ready meals (no one else did them then) and there'd be Sara Lee Black Forest Gateaux for desert.

Philious Fogg mignon morceaux, tortilla chips and bombay mix before the meal was ready.

Houses have changed with less dining space, and it's probably awkward to have a gathering of everyone having a compatible meal between dietary needs/ preferences these days. Eating out is simpler, more avaliable and often more practical now.

Prawn cocktail
Steak Diane
Black Forest gateau

or

Melon boat
Duck a l'orange
Rum baba

all washed down with some Blue Nun. What's not to like?!

Sorry!!

No they didn't come round. We're still friends but I go the impression that they thought it was a bit sad to go round to someone's house for dinner. They're only a few years younger than me so it's not like I'm a generation older.

I think from reading this thread that a lot of people equate having people round to dinner with Abigail's Party/old fashioned food/general weirdness when really it's just inviting some friends round and cooking a nice meal for them, having a few drinks and a laugh/chat. What's not to like?

We used to dress up a bit to go to friends houses, normally on a Saturday around 3ish. Take kids, they play around then around 6ish expensive takeaway or cheese boards or something appear and the kids disappear to a bedroom for playing, music on after and civilised conversations! Since covid no one dresses up now, we go round in the afternoons in anything - leggings, gym gear etc - and get pizzas in whilst kids play. Home for 6. Not sure which I prefer, I feel like I look scruffy nearly all the time these days!

“@BloodyHellKen this is mumsnetters, the part people don’t like is the ‘friends’ part, the ‘opening the door to people’ part or indeed the ‘leaving the house’ part. Everyone on here hates other people and are on the bones of their arses unable to heat their tastefully renovated Victorian villas, you know.

Loving this thread, totally reminds me of my DP's dinner parties in the 70s and as a teen I used to babysit a lot for other couples going out to dinner parties. I was married in the late 80s and used to host and go to dinner parties myself but I think the formality started going out of fashion .... now I can't be bothered with entertaining and although I love seeing my girl friends I really don't want to spend time with their DHs/DPs. My DH loves organising a big Christmas party but the whole thing bores me senseless... the pandemic was a great excuse not to do it but I think he is planning one for this Christmas.

No we dont do this or get invited to things like this

The idea is nice, these days in guessing only the upper classes and even then certain sections of the upper classes may host them

Exactly!

that’s what I meant in my earlier post when I said it was a posh person thing! My mum lusted after a hostess trolley for years - finally got one in about 2005 😂

Phileas Fogg mignons morceaux! The tiny garlic breads! I'd forgotten them. Yes, my parents used to do this. They never went to restaurants- there weren't really any near us and babysitting was tricky. My dad was the dinner party cook and would get Raymond Blanc and Nico Ladennis books from the library. My mum wore long dresses and smelt of Shalimar. We handed round drinks and then had to go to bed. NB we lived in a small terraced house in a village so I think this was more 80s young middle class couples exploring new food and making a social life without much cash than "poshness".

Black Tower and Blue Nun Liebfrauenmilch ! Have to laugh at that .Thankfully ,i think everyone has moved on from those wines!

We still do dinner party’s, but the men don’t get dressed up in suits, but usually six people , Prosecco and nipples when they arrive then sit down at the dinning table for a three course meal , starters, main, dessert, followed by cheese and biscuits with port. Lots of wine and then the after eights and Irish coffees. We do the complete 1980’s whole dinner party I usually host about three times a year. We are in our early 60,s so are back having a full social life.

we also have games nights with take away a couple of times a year, and always do a big bbq each summer.

Prosecco and nipples when they arrive

😂

RampantIvy

LOL I’m dyslexic , what I meant to say is nibbles!! Not nipples that would be a totally different kind of party, which by the way when we was younger we were invited to, but kindly declined. 😃

More difficult to organise these days. So many Faux dietary conditions, irregular hours and unwilling to get a baby-sitter. I wish we could do it more. Just a little formality occasionally.
It would not be every week, but I enjoy cooking special dishes. Watched so much Floyd and read all Elizabeth David. (No, I am not dated).

Not read every page of this.
Seen two references to Blue Nun. I saw some in a Turkish shop in Betnal Green recently.
Any reminiscing about Mateus Rose from Portugal?

I'm in my early 40s. I've never hosted a dinner party, and I've never been to one. Any meals out with friends have been at a pub/ cafe/ restaurant etc .

These parties sound wonderful. I'd like to attend but would hate to reciprocate.

I'm not a bad cook however hosting a dinner party would be my idea of hell. What with people being GF, vegan, Keto, low carb plus allergies too.

Did these dietary requirements exist in the 80s?

The only dietary requirement I have had to cater for is vegetarian which is easy.Everyone else just tucks in and enjoys .I wouldn't bother either if I had to cater for everything else.It would be too difficult.Maybe they will become a thing of the past .