Dinners with a Difference is a facilitated discussion over a meal that dips beneath the surface of everyday conversations.

Come solo or bring a friend that you'd like to get to know better.

This month's topic is FRIENDSHIP.

We warmly invite you to an intimate evening dedicated to exploring the profound and multifaceted nature of friendship at our next dinner.

Friendship can be a treasure that enriches our lives, providing support, joy, and companionship. For some, it is the golden thread that weaves through the fabric of our social tapestry, binding us in mutual affection and understanding. Yet, some of us feel lonely, isolated and unsure how to build new friendships. The dynamics of friendship are ever-evolving, influenced by our circumstances and life stage. The skills we used to make friends as young people, doesn’t always help us navigate initiating friendships as adults with busy lives. Cultivating and sustaining meaningful friendships requires empathy, effort, and a keen understanding of the delicate balance between give and take, but our ability to do this is greatly impacted by our capacity and circumstances.

This dinner serves as an open invitation to those intrigued by the essence of true friendship. How do we nurture and maintain lasting bonds? In what ways can we support our friends while also ensuring our own needs are met? How do we navigate the changes that life inevitably brings to our friendships? And importantly, how do we gracefully let go when the time comes?

Together, we'll explore the emotional, psychological, and practical aspects of forming and sustaining connections that not only survive but thrive over time.

Your ticket includes a selection of entrees and mains, with dietary needs thoughtfully catered for. Drinks will be available for purchase on the night, ensuring a well rounded dining experience. To enrich the conversation, a prerequisite questionnaire will be emailed to attendees the week before the event. We kindly ask that you complete the short form prior to attending.

With the entire restaurant exclusively reserved for our gathering, we'll have the freedom to express ourself authentically and engage in vibrant dialogue without hesitation.

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Feedback from previous participants

"Dive in and give it a go. So worthwhile, stimulating and full of insightful conversation."

"A great night where you get to eat delicious food with a diverse array of interesting people all open to deep conversations. As well as the deep thoughtful conversations, there are always loads of laughs."

"It’s an opportunity to drop your guard - the normalities of day to day, and any roles/responsibilities. It’s quite liberating to discuss meaningful topics as a (relatively) anonymous person and speak truthfully without a filter. How bloody refreshing!"

"Chatting with random strangers was really fun."

"As a young Aussie guy, most of the conversations I have are surface level, sports-based, or just entirely sledging, which I love, but I don't really have the opportunity to philosophically explore topics or share meaningful (and related) anecdotes in a respectful forum where I could be challenged, encouraged and introspective, just for the sake of good conversation.
Finding good chats as an adult gets harder and harder, but this took me back to being freshly 18 and enjoying that good old Aussie tradition of a drunk 'DnM' (Deep and Meaningful). Happy to be philosophical and vulnerable - cracked open emotionally and intellectually - only now a little less drunk and much more comfortable."

"Gretel creates a safe and inclusive space where people can be seen and heard amongst a group of complete strangers! Conversation is gently guided with good humour with a nod to complexity and nuance. Dialogue is liberated and reinvented in a fun and casual atmosphere."

"So, those questions you have about the way the world is right now, and your place in it, and how you would like people you can share that with, and how you are feeling about all that? Bring all of it. That's what Dinners with a Difference is for."

Contact the host of Dinners with a Difference - Friendship