Community Guidelines

Tableside is home dining: real tables, real homes, your city. Every seat is an invitation to community; every dinner, a little more belonging. The guidelines below exist so it stays that way.

• —Show up. A booked seat is a promise. Arrive on time; a no-show leaves an empty chair at a table set for you.
• —Cancel with care. Full refund if you cancel 72 hours or more before the gathering. Inside 72 hours, seats are non-refundable — your host has already shopped and prepped. If a host cancels, you’re always refunded in full.
• —Be honest about what you eat. Share allergies and dietary needs when you book — hosts cook for the table they expect. A surprise allergy at the door can be dangerous, not just awkward.
• —Respect the home. You’re a guest in a private residence, not a restaurant. Treat the space, the neighbors, and the host’s belongings accordingly.
• —Kindness is the house rule. Bring warmth to every seat. No unkind words to — or about — any guest or host: not at the table, not in the app, not anywhere after. If a night left you with a real concern, bring it to us, never to gossip.
• —Didn’t love the food? Stay gracious. Taste is personal; effort is not. Thank the cook at the table, and share honest thoughts privately through your morning-after note — it comes to the Tableside team alone. A dinner party is never the place for a review.
• —Drink like a guest. Members are 21+. If drinks are poured, enjoy them in moderation — hosts may stop serving anyone, anytime, no explanation owed.
• —Photos need a yes. Ask before photographing people or the inside of someone’s home, and ask again before posting.
• —Keep it on Tableside. Book and pay only through the app. Off-platform payments void our protections — and are how scams happen.
• —Privacy is house policy. Never share a host’s address, a member’s contact details, or anything told to you at the table in confidence.

• —List honestly. Your event page — menu, seats, space, price — should match what guests walk into.
• —Tell guests what’s in your food — and in your home. List major allergens in your menu notes, mention pets and smoking in your home note (guests with allergies need to know both), and answer dietary questions before the gathering.
• —Cook safely. Clean hands, clean surfaces, safe temperatures, honest sourcing. One table, restaurant standards.
• —Host everyone. Your table is open to every approved member. Discrimination ends your hosting privileges, full stop.
• —Cancel only when you must. A host cancellation refunds every guest in full and, repeated, affects your standing.

Harassment, discrimination, unwanted advances, cruelty to or about other members — at the table or behind their backs — intoxicated behavior that makes others unsafe, or any behavior that would get you asked to leave a friend’s dinner party will get you removed from Tableside — founding member or not.

Use Report a concern on any event or member page, or write to us directly. Reports go straight to the Tableside team and are handled confidentially. In an emergency, always call 911 first.

Depending on severity: a conversation, a warning, suspension, or permanent removal without refund of membership fees. We’d rather have fewer members than the wrong ones.