Here’s the Ideal Time to Leave a Dinner Party According to Experts

Sometimes we are afraid of leaving too soon, and of unintentionally making it clear that we have better things to do elsewhere, or that we are fed up. And on the contrary, it is sometimes difficult to stay too late even if the atmosphere is good. At the risk of disturbing the guests who, despite appearances, would like to go to bed.

The question of ‘when to leave a dinner party’ then arises so as not to offend anyone and to be perfectly polite to our hosts and other guests. Generally, departures are done in groups when it is a large dinner, but when we are the only guests, it gets complicated… But then, what do the experts think? And above all, what is the right answer to this fairly common problem? Because yes, there is an ideal time at which to leave the table and go home.

What time to leave a dinner party according to experts?

It was the British newspaper The Telegraph which investigated the question. According to the media, the ideal would be not to drag out the moment too long. He took up an article written by a women’s magazine, also English, called The Lady. And, looking through the lines of this paper, it says that the ideal time to leave a dinner party would be from 10:30 p.m. on weekdays and 11:15 p.m. on weekends. This is all very precise indeed.

However, it is important to emphasize that The rules of decorum vary depending on the country and their culture. English traditions are not the same as those of France and other countries. The French generally like to arrive on time, and more generally, appreciate punctuality, so these English directions can surely be taken as a reference, if the question arises during a dinner. Don’t panic though. If you are in doubt, act according to your feelings at the time, and it will be fine.

Journalist

Originally from Toulouse, I moved to Cannes in 2021. It is therefore very close to the sea and palm trees that I have been writing for Au Féminin since 2022. Accustomed to…