Timeleft in London: how it works, what it costs, and the alternatives

How Timeleft works in London

Timeleft started in Lisbon in 2023 and now runs in more than 200 cities. You download the app, answer a personality quiz, choose an event and a date, and pay. Timeleft puts you in a group and tells you where to go before the event.

Timeleft says its London events take place in Soho, Chelsea, Shoreditch and around London Bridge, and its London page names repeat venues in Chelsea and South Kensington. It reports 5,327 London bookings in September 2026, which makes London one of its biggest cities.

How much Timeleft costs in London

Timeleft's London page says booking "takes a Timeleft membership" and that "membership prices depend on the plan you pick". The prices are shown in the app. The GB App Store listing shows the in-app purchases below.

Three billing rules are worth knowing before you subscribe:

• It renews automatically. The terms say the subscription renews for the same period unless you cancel.
• Refunds are limited. The help centre says subscriptions are generally not refundable once a new billing period has started.
• Store subscriptions are separate. If you paid through Apple or Google, you cancel it in your Apple or Google account, not only in the app.

How Timeleft matches groups

Timeleft groups people by city, date, event type and language first. It then uses the personality quiz to balance the table, for example by mixing introverts and extroverts. Its help centre says your age band guides the matching and that a table "may include people from neighbouring age bands".

Timeleft is open about the limits. Its terms say it cannot guarantee a specific gender ratio or age range at an event, and its help centre says events can be cancelled when not enough people join.

Siena matches differently in two ways. We group people of a similar age and balance every table by gender. And you never sit with someone from one of your past Siena tables, so every Thursday is a new group.

What happens on the night

1. Before the event the app tells you the venue. Timeleft's London page says this happens 12 hours before.
2. About 8 hours before, the app asks you to confirm you are still coming.
3. You arrive, tell the staff you are with Timeleft and give your group number. A group chat opens shortly before the start.
4. Groups are usually four to six people. The app has a question game to get the conversation going.
5. You pay for your own food and drinks. Timeleft's help centre has an article for when a venue will not split the bill, so agree how to pay early.
6. In some cities there is an optional "Last Drinks" bar after dinner.
7. After the event you can rate the evening, leave "impressions" for people you met and invite them to a future event.

What members say

On the GB App Store, Timeleft has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 983 ratings (checked on 14 October 2026).

The topics Timeleft covers in its own help centre show where things go wrong for some members: unexpected subscription charges, cancelled events, tables with more or fewer people than expected, and venues that will not split the bill. None of these is unusual for a service at Timeleft's scale, but they are worth knowing before you subscribe.

Timeleft or Siena: which suits you?

Where Timeleft beats Siena: it is probably the better fit if

• you want events several times a week, or formats other than dinner
• you travel and want the same service in other cities
• you plan to go every week, so a membership works out cheaper per event

Siena is probably the better fit if

• you want to pay per dinner, without signing up to a subscription
• you want people of a similar age at your table
• you want a different group every time
• you want an evening that is only about making friends

Want to see more options, including supper clubs? Use the free London Social Dining Finder, or read our guide to dinner with strangers.

Questions people ask