We host strangers for dinner every month - now we have 60 new friends

Making friends in adulthood can be difficult, especially after moving across the world to a new city. When Nidhi Pal, 38, and Vik Parashar, 46, moved from India to Belfast, they found, while people were warm and friendly, building lasting connections was difficult. So the couple came up with an unusual way to expand their circle - a dinner party made up of 10 strangers. "We thought, if no one is calling us in, we will call them in, and open our door," Nidhi said. Approaching people to make friends in "a different culture and a different language" was difficult, Vik said. After two years in Belfast, Nidhi realised how isolated they had become. "I suddenly realised that we have no friends, no social life, and as a mature adult, I didn't know how to make any." Back home in India, they loved cooking for friends and inviting groups over for celebrations. Wanting to recreate that sense of connection, they created an Instagram page, Masala Talkies, and posted an online form for anyone who wanted to come to dinner. People of all ages and backgrounds, from Belfast and beyond, filled it out, and Nidhi chose a group of ten who she thought would mix well with each other. Inviting total strange

Jun 22, 2026 → Jun 22, 2026