Third night in a city you do not know, the meetings are done, and the choice is room service again or a table for one. Hiring someone who lives there to have dinner with you is a normal, platonic thing to do, and it is the one case where the person across the table is also the best guide to the city you have.
What you are hiring#
Two or three hours of a local's company at dinner. They pick the restaurant, which is most of the value: the place where the city eats, not the one on the hotel's list. They talk, they translate the menu if you are abroad, they tell you what to do with tomorrow's free afternoon, and they leave when the evening ends.
What it costs#
| Their time, 2 to 3 hours at $20 to $50 | $60 to $150 |
|---|---|
| Their meal and a drink | $30 to $80 in the US; less abroad |
| RentAFriend membership, if that is where you found them | About $24.95 a month |
| Roavi | No membership; you pay only the friend |
New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco sit at the top of the range. Mexico City, Bogotá, Bangkok and most of Latin America and Southeast Asia sit at or below the bottom, with the dinner itself a fraction of a US bill.
Where to find someone#
In US cities: RentAFriend. The most listings in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami. Browse free; a membership to message. What it costs in full.
Abroad, and increasingly in the US: Roavi. Free to browse and message. Profiles are reviewed by a person, carry three real photos and reviews from previous bookings, and are built around exactly this: someone who lives there showing you the city, by the hour, at a rate they set. Strongest today in the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico, Thailand and Japan. In the US it is thin, a handful of Local Friends in New York and Los Angeles, so check your city before counting on it.
Booking it from a hotel room at 4pm#
Message by mid-afternoon, with the specifics:
> Hi, I'm in town for work and would like company for dinner tonight, 8 to 10, somewhere near the Zócalo you'd actually eat at. Your rate as listed, dinner on me. Does that work?
People with their availability set to evenings usually answer within the hour. For a specific night, message the day before. Agree the hours, the rate and who pays for dinner in the chat so there is a record, and confirm the restaurant and the meeting point an hour before.
What to expect at the table#
A person who does this regularly, which most of them do, arrives on time, has a place in mind, orders well, and is good at the first ten minutes with a stranger because it is their job. Conversation runs the way it would with a colleague's friend: their city, your trip, what to do tomorrow. You pay at the end, as agreed, and most people walk you to a taxi or a metro.
Expensing it#
Their meal usually goes on the same policy as any guest at a business dinner, if your company allows guests. Their hourly rate usually does not, and most people pay it personally. Check your policy and do not describe it as something it is not on the report.
The boundaries#
Platonic, in public, for the agreed hours: dinner, a walk after, maybe a drink. Not your hotel room, not theirs. The person across the table is a local being paid for their company and their knowledge of the city, and the serious platforms remove anything that suggests otherwise. Pay at the end, never a deposit. Either of you can end the evening early. The rules in full.
Related#
Hire a friend near you: cost by city, the first message, safety. What "rent a local friend" means. Meeting other travellers in Mexico City. Someone to hang out with, no occasion needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you hire someone to have dinner with you on a work trip?
Yes. Paid platonic company has been a normal category in the United States since 2009, and dinner on a business trip is one of its most common uses. A person who lives in the city charges an hourly rate to have dinner with you, talk, and usually pick the restaurant, which is the part that turns a table for one into an evening.What does a dinner companion cost?
Two to three hours at $20 to $50 an hour, so $60 to $150 for the evening, plus their meal and drink. New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco are at the top of that range; most of Latin America and Southeast Asia at or below the bottom. On RentAFriend, add a membership of about $24.95 a month before you can message. On Roavi there is no membership.Where do you find a dinner companion?
In US cities, RentAFriend has the most listings and needs a membership to message. Abroad, and increasingly in US cities, Roavi: free to browse and message, profiles reviewed with three real photos and reviews, built around someone who lives there showing you the city, and strongest in the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico, Thailand and Japan. Its US listings are thin today, a handful in New York and Los Angeles.Can you book it the same day?
Often, if you message by mid-afternoon with a specific ask: 'Dinner tonight near the Zócalo, 8 to 10, your rate as listed, you pick the place?' People with their availability set to evenings answer within the hour. For a specific night, message the day before. Agree the hours, the rate and who pays for dinner in the chat so there is a record.Is it expensable?
Their meal usually is, under the same policy as any guest at a business dinner, if your company allows guests. Their hourly rate usually is not, and most people pay it personally. Check your policy; do not describe it as something it is not on the report.What are the boundaries?
Platonic, in public, for the agreed hours. Dinner, a walk after, maybe a drink; not your hotel room, not theirs. The person across the table is a local who is being paid for their company and their knowledge of the city, and the serious platforms remove anything that suggests otherwise. Pay at the end, never a deposit, and either of you can end the evening early.