Thank You for Dinner: 40 Messages to Quickly Say Thanks

Sharing a meal with others can feel like a blessing. 

You can send a thank you message for dinner attending a dinner or dinner party. You can also thank someone who treated you to dinner at a restaurant. 

To help you say thank you for dinner, I will share how to thank the host after dinner. 

There are many thank you for the dinner messages below split between dinner at someone’s home, a dinner party, dinner at a restaurant, and when you accept or decline an invitation to dinner in advance.

These thank you for dinner messages are for AFTER you’ve attended the dinner. If you want to say thank you for being invited to dinner BEFORE the dinner, please read the examples in the thank you for inviting us or me for dinner guide or thank you for Thanksgiving dinner.

Remember, when the host feels appreciated, they are much more likely to invite you for another dinner.

How To Say Thank You for Dinner Tips and a Template

This section lists suggested reasons for thanking your dinner host. 

Reasons for thanking the dinner host for dinner at their home

  • Their Time: Making dinner takes a lot of time and organization. Most hosts clean their houses extensively to have them ready for visitors.
  • Inviting you: You may want to thank the person for the dinner invitation.
  • Hospitality: The host opened up their home to you. Perhaps they hosted a potluck for your group. They may not have had to prepare all (if any) of the food, but they still had you in their home.
  • The food: Compliment them on a dish you enjoyed. You can also request the recipe in your note.
  • They respected your diet: The host followed your special diet (paleo, no sugar, no whatever) or made your favorites. They didn’t make anything you are allergic to or hate.
  • Gathering everyone together: Eating together is about more than food. It’s about spending together, connecting, and building stronger relationships.
  • Fun times: You had a great time hanging out and enjoyed the conversations.

Feel free to add any other reasons that fit your situation.

When dinner was at a restaurant:

The person you are thanking most likely paid the bill.  It would be best if you thanked them for covering the cost. Here are other items you may want to mention in your note:

  • Time Together: Spending time with the other person(s) can be the best part of the meal.
  • Something you learned: If you were given any advice you appreciated, you could mention it.  Or if you learned something new about the interesting person.
  • Organizing: When this person coordinated the time and location for several people to meet up for dinner.

When to not write the note exception: the weekly meal

If you have a weekly dinner with the same group of people, you do not need to write the host a thank you note each time. Be sure to thank them in person before leaving each week. Then you can write them an occasional thank you note.

My sister has me over for dinner about once a week when possible. And my parents have my husband, me, and my sister’s family over for lunch nearly every Sunday. I say “thank you” each time but do not send a weekly thank you note.  A weekly thank you note is over the top and eventually will become routine and not meaningful.

How To Make Your Dinner Thank You Note Awesome

When writing a thank you for dinner note, you can take your note to the next level by mentioning something specific that you liked. Only saying “Thanks for dinner” will feel very generic. What exactly are you thanking them for? If you love a particular dish, tell them. If you met new friends at dinner, thank the host for the introduction. Recognize the amount of time it took them to prepare.

The specific details make your note awesome!

Two dinner thank you notes side by side.

Thank You Note For Dinner Message Template

This template will help you with wording your thank you note for dinner. 

Dear [insert name],

Thank you for dinner [insert when dinner was]. I liked the [insert favorite dish]. [Please include one or more of the above reasons – phrased in your own words]. I hope we can share dinner again soon!

Thanks Again,
[insert your name]

  • Replace words in [brackets]
  • If the dinner was for your birthday or another event, add that event before dinner (examples: birthday dinner, anniversary dinner, holiday, book club dinner, Mother’s Day, etc.).
  • Also, you can compliment the food using adjectives like delicious, sumptuous, wonderful, amazing, etc.

Note: The examples are only the message part of the thank you note. Read how to write a thank you note to see all the elements of a handwritten thank you note.

Also, you can switch up the wording depending on whether you went to the dinner alone or with others (me or us).

Short Thank You Dinner Quotes

While I encourage a nice thank you for dinner note, sometimes you may need a short message.  Here are some thanks for dinner quotes to get you started: 

  1. Thank you for the dinner treat. 
  2. You’re an excellent host. Thank you for having us for dinner. 
  3. Thank you for dining with us. We enjoy your company. 
  4. Thanks for the amazing dinner. 
  5. I love your cooking. Thanks again for dinner. 
  6. Thanks for the lovely dinner. 
  7. You’re a great friend. Thank you so much for dinner.
  8. The dinner you made me was awesome. Thank you!
  9. Thank you for the sumptuous dinner. It made my week!
  10. Thank you for hosting dinner. I had a great time. 

Thank You Note for Dinner Messages 

These examples will help with saying thank you for dinner when you were a guest at someone’s home. I hope your dinner was fantastic, but you can still say thank you even if it wasn’t.

Related: Thanks for having me or us over messages

#1 Thank you for having me over for dinner last Tuesday. I enjoyed visiting with your family. The Brussels sprouts were fantastic.

#2 I enjoyed the dinner at your house last Friday night. I am amazed at the number of dishes you made; they were all wonderful. Thank you for spending so much time preparing it. The grilled lamb chops were my favorite!

#3 I was very impressed that you made a 100% paleo meal for Ted and me. We enjoyed the meal you made for us and appreciated that you gave Paleo a chance. Next time, we will have to our place for more paleo-inspired recipes! Thank you for giving me your tips on how to cook asparagus correctly. 

#4 Thank you for inviting Ted and me to your home for dinner. The pot roast and mashed potatoes were delicious. Your living room felt cozy with the fireplace during dessert. Next time, we will have you over to our place!

#5 Thank you for dinner! Being invited over at the last minute was a welcomed surprise. I was so happy not to have to make something after work. You are a wonderful neighbor and friend. The chicken soup was terrific too!

#6 I am writing this quick note to say thank you for the wonderful dinner. The entire meal was delicious and healthy. You are a unique and caring friend to ensure none of the foods would cause issues with my allergies. Thank you for opening up your home to my family.

#7 Thanks for dinner! I appreciate that you have me over once or twice a week. You are an excellent cook, and I am always happy to test your new recipes. And of course, I like spending time with you too.

#8 Thank you for a lovely evening and dinner at your home last Friday. The chicken dinner was flavorful and delicious. We also enjoyed sharing stories around the campfire and having s’mores. As always, I look forward to your next Friday night dinner.

#9 Thank you for hosting us for dinner. Your hospitality is admirable. We appreciate how much time you spend on the details of the table settings and plating of the food. We constantly brag that your food is better than any local restaurant. The sea bass was the best we’ve ever had.

#10 Thanks for hosting dinner last week. I had a great time and enjoyed meeting your kids. The homemade mac and cheese was sumptuous. Whatever cheese blend you use and the truffles on top make it feel luxurious.

Related: 25 Quick Ways to Say Thank You For The Pizza

Thank You for the Dinner Party Messages

The examples below will help write a thank you note for a dinner party. With a party, there is usually a larger group of people being hosted. And so, you can mention the other guests.

Do not write negative comments about anyone in a thank you note, even when there were people at the party that you did not enjoy. 

#1 Your dinner party last weekend was terrific! Thank you for inviting me. I love spending time with you and the rest of the group. The homemade pizza was fantastic.

#2 Thank you for hosting the dinner party last week. I know how much work they can be when it’s my turn. You are also a fantastic cook. The 4-course meal was delightful. The crème brûlée for dessert was my favorite.

#3 The dinner party was incredible last night! We enjoyed eating, laughing, and visiting with the others.  Your friend, George, is so funny! Where did you find the time to make all of that food? The walnut-stuffed dates wrapped with bacon were among the best things I have ever tasted! We are looking forward to the next party already!

#4 Thank you for having us over for dinner. We enjoyed all of the food, especially the tasty homemade dinner rolls. They were a nice treat for us. We will be looking forward to the next dinner party.

#5 Thank you for the lovely dinner party. The BBQ meal was fabulous, and meeting your neighbors was fun.  Also, the flower arrangement on the table was beautiful. You have a gift for arranging flowers.

#6 I am grateful you hosted a dinner party to introduce me to your friends. [Friend Name] and I connected quickly and seemed to have much in common. The food was delicious. I want your recipe for the carrot cake. Thanks again for inviting me.

#7 Your dinner parties are the best! I had so much fun meeting everyone. Thank you for inviting me. The five-course meal was great, and the homemade strawberry cheesecake was fabulous. And the expensive champagne was a lovely surprise. 

#8 Thank you for the delicious dinner last night. The [dish name] was so tasty. I would love to have your recipe for it. Thank you for being a wonderful host as well! I had a great conversation with you and the other guests.

#9 Thank you for the amazing dinner party last weekend. I enjoyed the excellent food, conversation, and ambiance of your beautiful home. I felt relaxed in the comfortable chairs near the fireplace. It turns out that your friend Bob loves to read [Book Series Name] as much as I do. We had a lot to discuss and will be going on a date next weekend.

#10 Thanks for the dinner party. It was the highlight of my weekend. You are a wonderful friend and host. I appreciate you so much for introducing me to your friends. Being new in town has been difficult for me. Also, I loved all the excellent food and the variety of homemade cookies. The chocolate chip cookies were the best ever.

Thank You Note for Dinner at a Restaurant Examples

The examples in this section will help you write a thank you note for dinner at a restaurant. Writing a thank-you note for dinner at a restaurant is similar to thanking someone who made dinner or hosted a dinner party.

Related: Thank You for the Dinner Treat

#1 Thank you for treating me to dinner at [Restaurant Name]. Spending time in conversation with you is always a joy as well. I am always interested in hearing your latest money-saving tip.

#2 You are a wonderful organizer. Thank you again for contacting everyone and figuring out when we could all meet for dinner. It was a lovely treat that you paid for my meal. I will pay it forward!

#3 Thanks for the dinner treat! I love our time together and eating out. It was so relaxing, and we both got a break from cooking a homemade meal.

#4 The dinner last night at [Restaurant Name] was delightful. Thank you for finding a place with such excellent food and a lovely atmosphere. Chatting with you was insightful. And I appreciate your input regarding [topic].

#5 Thank you for taking me to [Restaurant Name]. It felt nice to be appreciated, and I enjoyed eating the best tacos ever. I am so glad that we’ve become friends. You are a wonderful person.

#6 Treating me to dinner last night was kind of you. I appreciate your generosity.  And thank you for choosing the place. The food was delicious, and I will go there again sometime.

#7 Thanks for dinner at the seafood place last night. Having expensive fish felt like a luxury. Learning more about your background was fascinating. You are the most interesting person that I know!

#8 Thank you for dinner on Tuesday night. The entire evening was so much fun. I appreciate the time you spent organizing to have all of my friends at the restaurant. Visiting with everyone was the best part of dinner.

#9 I love going to [name of Mexican restaurant]. Thank you so much for the dinner treat! They have the best tacos, and I’m happy we met up last week. Catching up with you over a delicious meal made for a beautiful evening.

#10 Thank you for the dinner treat. I am grateful to have a friend like you! I enjoyed having dinner with you at [Location Name] last Wednesday. The spread of appetizers felt like a feast. Next time, dinner will be my treat.

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Author: Heidi Bender

Title: Writer

Expertise: Thank You Notes

Heidi Bender is a writer and author who founded Tons of Thanks. She aims to help people write thank-you notes by providing examples and tips. She is the author of She is the author of A Modern Guide to Writing Thank-You Notes.