In brief
- Timeleft organises dinners among strangers, put together by an algorithm, in more than 200 cities and 52 countries according to its website.
- In Paris, dinners take place on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm, for 4 to 6 people.
- You need a subscription (or a ticket) to book, and everyone pays for their own meal on the spot.
- The stated aim is to make friends. It is not a professional club.
Timeleft claims more than 4 million members according to its website, which makes it one of the big names in dinners among strangers. The idea is simple: you book a date, the app puts the table together, and you find out the restaurant at the last minute. Here is what you need to know before you start, based on the website, the terms and conditions and the press. We have not attended a Timeleft dinner: this page is not a first-hand account.
Timeleft at a glance
- Company: Timeleft SAS. The press presents Maxime Barbier as co-founder and chief executive; Time Out Lisboa also names Adrien de Oliveira as a co-founder.
- Reach: “52 countries and more than 200 cities” according to the locations page. In France: Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Paris, Strasbourg and Toulouse.
- Age: you must be at least 18.
- Languages: French or English, chosen when you book.
- Formats: dinners, drinks, coffees, runs and walks, depending on the city.
- Promise: “weekly meetups that turn strangers into friends”.
What a Timeleft dinner in Paris looks like
The Paris page sets out the programme at the time of writing:
- Dinners: Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm, with 4 to 6 people chosen for you;
- Themed dinners: Mondays for the LGBTQ+ community, Tuesdays for singles, at 8pm;
- Drinks: Thursdays at 7pm;
- Coffees: Tuesdays and Saturdays at 3pm;
- Running: Saturdays at noon;
- Walk: Sundays at 10am.
Meetups are held mainly in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 11th and 17th arrondissements. Booking closes 13 hours before the event. The address appears in the app 12 hours beforehand.
The sequence of events, as Connexion France described it after a dinner at the end of 2024:
- You complete a personality test of around forty questions when you sign up.
- The day before, you see a few clues about the table, such as the guests’ jobs, without their names.
- On the evening, everyone introduces themselves. The app suggests questions if the conversation runs dry.
- After dinner, you say who you would like to see again. People who agree can then message each other.
How much Timeleft costs
The cost comes in two parts.
Access. The terms and conditions provide for two forms: a ticket, for a limited period, and a subscription, renewed automatically. The online help mentions subscriptions of 1, 3 or 6 months, with as many events as you like during that period. Prices are only shown in the app. For reference, at the end of 2024 Connexion France reported a single place from €12.99 and a subscription from €14.99 a month. Check the current price before committing.
The meal. It is not included. You choose a budget band. The terms and conditions give these guidelines for a main course and a soft drink:
- €: under €20;
- €€: €20 to €40;
- €€€: over €40.
Two rules to know. A confirmed no-show can be charged at 35% of the price of one month’s subscription. And the subscription must be cancelled at least 7 days before the end of the current period.
Matching: what we know
According to the website, groups are formed based on “age range, personality and language preferences”. The aim is a balanced table, not a perfect match. The website does not publish the details of the calculation.
An algorithm does its best, with no guarantee. In 2023, a Time Out Lisboa journalist described a table that was quite far from the profile announced by email, in both age and language. It is a single account, in Lisbon, but it is a reminder that any table involves an element of chance.
Strengths
- Nothing to organise. The venue, the group and the booking are all taken care of.
- Plenty of dates. In Paris, there is something on almost every day.
- A light format. You can start with a coffee or a drink.
- Follow-up after the evening. You only stay in touch with people who want to as well.
Limits for an independent
- It is not networking. The table mixes jobs and ages. Talking about your work is possible, but it is not the point.
- You do not choose your fellow guests. Not by sector, and not by what you are looking for.
- A subscription to manage. It renews on its own: note the cancellation deadline.
Timeleft or a professional club?
The difference comes down to one question: what do you want from the evening?
- You want to widen your circle of friends, go out on a Wednesday evening, meet people outside your usual world: Timeleft meets that need.
- You want to talk about your work, find clients or partners, or peers going through the same things as you: a professional club is a better fit.
Tablez Club falls into the second category. Tables bring together 8 to 10 independents, freelancers, consultants and founders, put together according to what each person is looking for. You join by application (submit an application). The dinner takes place on Thursday evenings, the lunch on Tuesdays at 12:30 pm. Booking costs €15 and is deducted from the bill; at the restaurant everyone pays for what they had. No pitch and no badge: the table rules fit on a single page. The details are on how it works.
The two are not mutually exclusive. An independent may need both: human connection in general, and connection with people in the same line of work.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Timeleft cost?
Access is by ticket or by a 1-, 3- or 6-month subscription, at the price shown in the app. At the end of 2024, the press reported a subscription from €14.99 a month. The meal is extra, paid on the spot according to the budget band you choose.
How many people attend a Timeleft dinner in Paris?
The Paris page states 4 to 6 people per dinner. Dinners take place on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm, in a restaurant booked by Timeleft.
Is Timeleft useful for finding clients?
That is not what it is for. Timeleft puts tables together to create friendships, mixing profiles. For professional encounters, a dinner club for independents such as Tablez Club, or a trade network, will be more direct.
Sources
- Timeleft, home page (concept, matching, formats, age): https://timeleft.com/fr/
- Timeleft, Paris page (days, times, neighbourhoods, deadlines): https://timeleft.com/fr/paris/
- Timeleft, list of cities: https://timeleft.com/fr/locations/
- Timeleft, terms and conditions (ticket, subscription, budgets, no-shows, cancellation): https://app.timeleft.com/files/legal/terms-and-conditions-fr
- Timeleft, online help, subscription plans: https://help.timeleft.com/hc/en-150/articles/27963865308060-What-Subscription-Plans-Are-Available
- Connexion France, December 2024 (prices, test, sequence of events, co-founder): https://connexionfrance.com/news/new-trend-serves-companionship-up-on-a-plate-in-france/682998
- Time Out Lisboa, November 2023 (co-founders, account of a table): https://www.timeout.pt/lisboa/pt/noticias/timeleft-o-sucesso-meteorico-dos-jantares-com-estranhos-111923