15 Impressive Dinner Theme Ideas for Your Next Gathering
Your next dinner party is on the horizon, and you want an incredible theme to wow your guests. Serve up delicious food, fun decor, and an amazing atmosphere with these dinner theme ideas.
From traditional Mediterranean fare to tasty Asian fusion, there’s a theme idea here for lovers of every cuisine and style. Explore dinner party ideas, find some menu inspiration, and discover tips on how you can bring your upcoming event to life.
15 Delicious Dinner Theme Ideas for Your Next Get-Together
While we love a dinner party theme like murder mystery or a masquerade party, sometimes you want the focus to be all about the food itself. Whether you dress up and play party games too or keep things simple, here are some of our favorite dinner theme ideas for any occasion.
We’ve paired each of these dinner theme ideas with one of our favorite dinner party invitations. Each online invitation can be customized to suit your occasion, giving you a unique and easy way to let your loved ones know all about your upcoming party. Change the colors, swap out the fonts, and play around with the wording until it feels like the perfect match.
1. Italian Trattoria
Design: Signature Greenvelope
Matching invitation: Whimsical Doodles Invitation
Introduce your dinner party guests to the delights of a traditional Italian restaurant in the comfort of your home. Hang up fairy lights, put together a playlist of classic Italian music, and serve up Italian dinner recipes like lasagna, chicken parmesan, and stromboli.
2. Mexican Fiesta
Design: Morgan Kendall
Matching invitation: Colorful Summer Fiesta Invitation
It doesn’t have to be Cinco de Mayo for you to host a Mexican fiesta-themed dinner party. Gather everyone around for the flavors of Mexico and a night filled with margaritas, music, dancing, and incredible flavors. Feature classics like tacos, burritos, fajitas, and nachos, or take inspiration from these Mexican recipes.
3. Moroccan Feast
Design: Claudia Owen
Matching invitation: Boho Tapestry Invitation
Moroccan dishes are all about rich, complex flavors — making this one of the best dinner theme ideas if you want all the attention to be on the food. Serve traditional Moroccan recipes like lamb tagine, Moroccan carrot salad, and olive bread. Take your dinner party outside with a low-to-the-ground table and floor cushions, or add some bold colors and cozy lighting for an indoor celebration.
4. French Bistro
Design: Owl and Toad
Matching invitation: Sweet Stripes Invitation
Transform your home or dinner party venue into a chic Parisian bistro for a night of tasting all the best dishes that France has to offer. Prepare a menu of classic French recipes like tarte flambée, fondue, steak Diane, or honey-glazed roast pork with apples. Style your space with black and white stripes, mini Eiffel Tower decorations, and hints of rose pink.
5. Retro American Diner
Design: Becky Nimoy Stationery
Matching invitation: Old Fashioned Jukebox Invitation
For a night filled with retro vibes and vintage American tunes, host a dinner party themed around your favorite American diner food. DIY your own American diner-inspired recipes at home — like chicken and waffles, BBQ wings, hot dogs, and cheesecake. Add some neon lighting and plenty of soda varieties, and you have your own at-home diner experience.
6. Charcuterie Night
Design: frau brandt
Matching invitation: Cheese Board Dream Invitation
If you don’t feel like a full-on feast, why not try hosting a charcuterie night? Prepare an amazing charcuterie and cheese board and offer it alongside different wines and appetizers. Encourage conversation, play dinner party games, and enjoy each other’s company.
7. Mediterranean Supper
Design: Signature Greenvelope
Matching invitation: La Dolce Vita Invitation
A Mediterranean dinner theme idea is perfect if you love lots of recipes and simply can’t narrow down your options. You can include a mix of Greek, Turkish, Italian, and other cuisines all in one dinner party. Take your pick from these Mediterranean dinner ideas and continue the theme with a fun playlist, some food-themed trivia games, and a laid-back atmosphere.
8. Asian Street Food Party
Design: Claudia Owen
Matching invitation: Spring Cherry Blossoms Invitation
One of the best things about traveling around Asia is being able to experience the unbeatable street food scene. Bring some of that to your home with these Asian street food recipes. Chinese fried rice, Thai pad see ew, and Japanese okonomiyaki are all delicious options.
9. Indian Banquet
Design: Signature Greenvelope
Matching invitation: Golden Mosaic Invitation
Take your dinner party guests to the heart of India with a themed banquet night in celebration of something big — or simply because you love the food. Prepare a traditional Indian party menu including appetizers, entrees, rice dishes, and delicious desserts.
10. Holidays in July
Design: Jen Montgomery
Matching invitation: Holiday Whimsy Invitation
Who says you can only celebrate Christmas or your favorite winter holiday when it’s cold out? It’s time to break out the rolling pins and your favorite family recipes for a holiday party in July. Serve your most-loved holiday recipes, dress up in festive sweaters, and sing along to a playlist of classic hits.
11. Around the World Buffet
Design: Eric Clegg Design
Matching invitation: Bright Celebration Invitation
Sometimes there are just too many cuisines to choose from, and you simply don’t want to. The good news is, you don’t have to! Mix everything together into an around the world buffet where guests can sample your absolute favorite dishes from every region. Pair with trivia games, decor inspired by different continents, and a playlist that celebrates the best of music from around the world.
12. Theme Nights
Design: 2birdstone
Matching invitation: Taco Night Invitation
Dinner theme ideas don’t have to be big or fancy to be fun. We love the idea of having themed nights of the week every now and again, especially for casual dinner parties and get-togethers. Try a Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, or Fajita Friday — or make up your own themes instead.
13. Seasonal Potluck
Design: Becky Nimoy Stationery
Matching invitation: Colorful Cornucopia Invitation
If you want to take a break from cooking and hosting the whole night, or when you want to create that cozy family vibe, a potluck is the way to go. Invite people to bring along a dish inspired by the season and made with tasty fresh ingredients. This is a lovely way to bring everyone together for a relaxed celebration.
14. Takeout at Home
Design: Hudson Meet Rose
Matching invitation: Burger Essentials Invitation
Most of us have a favorite takeout place and dish — whether it’s your local Chinese takeout place or a fast food classic. Ask people to join you at your home as you recreate these DIY takeout copycat recipes to see how they match up to the real thing.
15. Dessert for Dinner
Design: Kid Collective
Matching invitation: Vanilla Cone Invitation
Don’t feel like cooking at all? Turn it into a dessert party or ice cream party instead! Have everyone over for the best (and easiest) sweet treats of all while you watch a movie or a sports game, or catch up on the latest gossip. Make the event feel even sweeter with a fun pastel theme, complete with a matching invitation.
Impress Your Guests at Your Next Party with These Dinner Theme Ideas
Whether you’re hosting a highly themed party or keeping it casual, these dinner theme ideas have something for every occasion. Honor a milestone anniversary with an Italian-inspired feast or toast an engagement with a chic Parisian bistro night — there’s a way to match any cuisine to the moment you’re celebrating.
Use this guide to help you plan your next dinner party theme, then pair it with one of our dinner party invites. Every design is customizable, so you can make it feel as unique as the event you’ve worked so hard on.
