How to play Come Dine With Me at home
Updated 15 November 2026.
Take turns: each friend hosts one dinner party, with a starter, a main and a dessert, for the others. At the end of each night every guest scores the evening out of 10, in private, on their own card. Nobody sees a score until the last dinner is over. Add up each host's scores, and the highest total wins.
Come Dine With Me is a TV show where a few strangers take turns to host a dinner party and score each other. It works just as well with friends, a book club or the people at work. This guide gives you the rules and a score card to print.
1. Set it up
- Four or five hosts. Fewer and it is over too fast; more and it takes weeks.
- One night each. Put the dates in a shared calendar before the first dinner, so nobody drops out halfway.
- Three courses. A starter, a main and a dessert, all made by the host. Agree whether shop-bought parts are allowed.
- A budget. Agree on one, so the winner is the best cook and not the biggest spender.
- Allergies first. Every guest tells every host what they cannot eat, before anyone plans a menu.
2. Score in private
- Each guest keeps one card for all the nights. The host of the night does not score.
- During dinner, jot a mark out of 10 for each course and for the hosting. These are notes for you.
- At the end of the night, write one score out of 10 for the whole evening. Only that score counts.
- Fold the card or seal it in an envelope. Talking about scores pulls them together.
3. Print the score card
Print one card for each guest. Fill in one row each night.
Dinner party score card
Guest: ____________________
| Host | Starter | Main | Dessert | Hosting | Score (out of 10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The course and hosting marks are notes. Only the last column counts. A tie goes to the host with more 9s and 10s.
4. Reveal the winner
- After the last dinner, collect every card.
- Add up each host's scores from all the guests.
- Read the totals out from lowest to highest. Keep the winner for last.
A small prize is plenty: a wooden spoon, an apron, or the right to host the first dinner next time.
The problem with scoring your rivals
Guests who are also competing have a reason to score low. On TV it is half the fun. Among friends it can sting. Two fixes: seal the cards until the end, and judge the food, not the host. Plateoff does both: every week your friends cook at home, other cooks pick between two dishes without seeing whose they are, and the results are revealed at Saturday midnight. It is a way to keep the game going after the last dinner party.
Questions
How does Come Dine With Me scoring work?
Each guest gives the host's evening one score out of 10, in private. The host does not score their own night. The host with the highest total from all the guests wins.
How many people do you need?
Four or five hosts. With three it is over in a week; with six it takes too long.
Can couples play?
Yes. Each couple hosts one night together and gives one score as a pair on the other nights.
Is Plateoff connected to Come Dine With Me?
No. Come Dine With Me is a TV show made by other people. We name it because people who want to play it at home often want a cooking game with friends.
You are cooking tonight anyway.
Start cooking