The Big Three for Making Friends in London
If you're looking to expand your social circle in London, three platforms stand out: Siena Society, Meetup, and Bumble BFF. Each takes a fundamentally different approach to helping you meet people.
Siena Society: Curated Dinner Experiences
Format: Matched groups of 6 at curated restaurants every Thursday
Cost: £12.99 per dinner (plus your meal)
Best for: Introverts and anyone who prefers intimate, structured socialising
Unique feature: Personality-based matching ensures compatible dining companions
Meetup: Large Group Events
Format: User-organised events of varying sizes, typically 10-50+ people
Cost: Free to join, some events have fees
Best for: Extroverts comfortable in larger groups
Limitation: No matching — you might not click with anyone at the event
Bumble BFF: One-on-One Matching
Format: Swipe-based matching for individual friendships
Cost: Free with premium options
Best for: People who want to find one close friend at a time
Limitation: Requires ongoing effort to maintain conversations and arrange meetups
The Verdict
For quality connections over quantity, Siena Society wins. The curated, small-group format creates deeper conversations than large Meetup events, and the in-person dinner format eliminates the awkward "should we actually meet up?" phase of Bumble BFF.
Comparing dinner clubs instead? Our free London Social Dining Finder ranks Timeleft, The First Round, Siena and London supper clubs against your answers.