Thoughtful dinner party gift ideas to thank (and impress) your host

5 Apr 2023

Gift Ideas

Generous treats and tokens of thanks — you’ll never feel empty-handed again

If you’re anything like us here at Hotel Chocolat, you adore a good dinner party. Friends and food, but in the casual comfort of someone’s home. They don’t have to stop when the restaurant closes and you can actually hear the person you’re talking to. The lovely thing about being invited to a dinner party is that you don’t have to worry about cooking, planning the evening, or cleaning the house. You can just rock up and enjoy the efforts of your host. While you won’t be denied entry if you turn up to a dinner party empty-handed, bringing a small gift to the soirée is sure to make your host feel appreciated.

On that note, here is our guide to dinner party etiquette. Take a peek at our thoughtful dinner party gift ideas to thank (and maybe even impress) your host for the evening.

Friends at a dinner party: aerial view

Dinner party gift ideas your host will adore

These are just a few gift suggestions that are sure to be a hit with any host. If you know their tastes well, use this knowledge to your advantage. See what you think they’d like the best — and don’t forget to see if we have other flavour options that might suit their palate more.

A sophisticated chocolate box

A chocolate box will always be a classic dinner party gift — and for good reason. Who doesn’t like a selection of exquisite chocolates? Made from ethical and sustainable cacao and crafted with care by our skilled chocolatiers, we adore everything about our Hotel Chocolat creations. But which chocolate box to choose?

Our Everything Sleekster is an indulgent crowd-pleaser full of our most-loved chocolates. Your giftee will enjoy a taste of all our chocolate genres and coveted recipes like our Eton Mess, Cherry Deluxe, and Champagne Truffle. If you want to present them with a larger array of treats, consider our Patisserie Sleekster Luxe, featuring 44 chocolates inspired by classic desserts. Expect chocolates based on brownies, blondies, cinnamon buns, and macarons.

Are your hosts are dairy-free? We have our Unbelievably Vegan* Sleekster packed with gorgeous plant-based chocolates. 

*Please note: We believe our dark and Nutmilk chocolate is suitable for vegans. However, as it is made in the same environment as our milk chocolate, we cannot guarantee it is free from milk.

A personalised hamper

If you’re hoping to give a more generous gift, consider curating a personalised hamper for your giftee. This is a great idea if they are a close friend, as you’ll know their tastes well enough to choose lots of goodies that they’ll love. 

You can include edible things like a bottle of bubbly, a box of their favourite chocolates, luxury biscuits, and real hot chocolate. You could even add some extra personal touches like a book (maybe one you have read and recommend) and a card or a bunch of flowers.

A bottle of their favourite alcohol

If you’re visiting friends who drink, why not surprise them at the door with a bottle of their favourite tipple? You can present it as a gift for them to enjoy after the dinner party or bring some wine, beer, or prosecco for the group to enjoy on the night. 

Our Velvetised Chocolate Cream is a unique tipple that they probably won’t have tried before. It’s perfect for sipping on its own with a few cubes of ice or blending into a sumptuous cocktail. It’s pure indulgence with rich cacao notes and a fabulous creamy finish. We have a few different flavours, so make sure you explore the whole range.

Toasting wine at a dinner party

A kitchen gadget

Let’s not forget that dinner parties are often for celebrating special events like anniversaries and “we’re expecting” announcements. In these cases, you might be planning on bringing a gift anyway. Maybe a bigger present is on the cards? 

When it comes to stand-out gifts, our favourite theme has to be kitchen gadgets. Novel but useful for years to come, high-quality kitchen appliances combine longevity with that initial wow factor. In our opinion, they are the ultimate dinner party gift when a celebration is in order.

Of course, we think our Velvetiser hot chocolate machine is the perfect kitchen gadget gift. It’s essentially giving the gift of silky smooth hot chocolate each and every day (or whenever they are craving a sip of rich cacao goodness). This machine will help them create barista-grade hot chocolate at the touch of a button. Plus, it comes in a range of colours to match any kitchen. There’s no doubt about it, this will be a rather glamorous addition to their kitchen appliance collection.

Charcoal Velvetiser and Pod Cup

Elegant dinner party gift options from Hotel Chocolat

Browse our dinner party gift options today. Our chocolate collection is a great place to start, then you can narrow down your search by price, product, and chocolate type. Alternatively, if your head is turned by some of our other gift ideas, explore our Velvetiser colourways, hot chocolate flavours, and cacao-infused alcoholic beverages. Remember that amongst these splendid options, there’s no such thing as a bad gift.