when strangers become friends
For many of us when we reach a certain stage of adulthood the prospect of meeting new people is daunting. What would we connect over? What would we talk about? And, god forbid, what if we had nothing in common?
Enter: the humble supper club, a concept borrowed from the underground cabaret scene in New York City in the ’30s and ’40s. People could sit down, relax and unwind in the whirl of live music, good food and plenty of hooch. Fast forward to the post-pandemic world, and I can assuredly say the supper club has made a comeback. And my-oh-my haven’t we just greeted it like a long-lost friend.
It doesn’t take long to realise we’re unequivocally foodies here at gloobles. From groovy wine bars in Copenhagen to the local hotspots in Athens to the hard-to-find gems in Mexico City, we love it all. And though we’ll be the first to admit dining solo is sometimes complete and utter bliss, more often than not what makes our evening is the chatting, the discussion, the oohing and aahing over the taste of the confit leeks or the perfectly slow-roasted cherry tomato bucatini. This very concept of dining, whether we gather to meet friends, friends-of-friends or complete and utter strangers, the power of food lies in its ability to bring people together. And that is where our two beloved gloobles friends, Zuzia Batolik and Emma Ranne, come in.
When I ask Zuzia about her dinner party staple, she’s quick to answer, “Pasta alla vodka,” and to give dishes that wow factor, “just drizzle over any herbal olive oil, as it has such an amazing green colour.” It’s as simple as that. Though it’s a different story when you’re serving this to a table full of strangers. Both Emma and Zuzia are inspired by the idea of hosting people who have a shared passion for food—and people who fundamentally want to be surrounded by new faces. As Zuzia puts it, “There’s always at least one topic that we all have in common. From that, the conversation just flows, and people connect in the most natural of ways.”
I can hand on heart vouch for this since I nabbed a chair at Zuzia’s Spring Edition hosted at YUSU. As the fougasse was torn, the beetroot carpaccio divvied up and the saffron-infused courgette passed around, wine was drunk and conversation did indeed just flow. Shared dining is also at the core of Emma’s latest supper club in Helsinki. It was quite literally a pasta party: served straight on the table, the guests tucking into parmesan-coated ravioli with hands only. I’d be the first to bargain this isn’t something typically done by strangers meeting for the first time!
It’s an aesthetic for sure. Yes, the food is beautiful, but time is also put into making the whole table picture-perfect. The flowers, the tableware, the candles: it’s all essential to making the supper club a welcoming environment. If we turn to the community of Agüita Sala, it is not just the cuisine that connects people but the art and creativity. Nowhere is this clearer than in their debut supper club in Barcelona, Al Caliu, hosted just this month. The name bares the principle clearly—good company provides relaxation and comfort. So, the lunch was served, a wine pairing accompanied it and a sobremesa followed with music and free-flowing drinks. For this reason, Agüita Sala’s suppers are forever on our hot list. As they trot around the globe, we will certainly keep you all in the loop! Their collaborations with lighting specialists, art curators, interior designers and ridiculously funky venues—including the likes of Tokoro Studio London and Oslo Nine (both in London)—they’re also highly worth a toast.
However, if there’s anyone that proves that the supper club needn’t be fancy, it’s Alfredo Chirizzi (aka Alfio’s). Homemade food, low-intervention wines, groovy tunes and excellent company are the principal ingredients for Sunday Service. At Alfio’s home in Milan (albeit now hosting various pop-ups in restaurants and bars across Italy), he welcomes strangers to his own dining table. On a Sunday—a day often connected to family, unwinding and rest before the week begins.
Yes, his food is absolutely exceptional, but it’s the experience that has people in line for a seat time and time again. So, if you happen to be in Milan over the weekend, you know who to call.
Book a ticket once, give it a go and see how the night unfolds. You’ll soon become a supper club fiend. If there’s anything that the resurgence of the supper club has shown us, it’s that eating and drinking are not only acts that should be enjoyed but moments for joy, beauty and new connections. If we return to the fougasse or the ravioli on Zuzia’s and Emma’s tables, they take centre stage. Both are there to be freely tucked into; the bread is torn, the ravioli hand-picked. And as guests (and strangers) break it, share it, they laugh and natter about the process. This is the beauty of the supper club: it brings people together.
Hannah Rees-Middleton
Wild swimming. Natural wine. Excellent exhibitions. And glorious country walks. These are a few of our editor Hannah Rees-Middleton’s favourite things. Whether she’s bouncing around Mexico, paddling through the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond or ogling another mound of butter at a fabulous supper club, Hannah is always in the midst of something cool. A consummate planner, a lover of beautiful things, a traveller never without a camera and a deck of cards. Hannah is many things (including the perfect resource for perfect travel tips).
