FAQ

Neighbours hosting a home-cooked family meal so others can learn a family recipe, cook together, and eat at the table. It is not for restaurants or catering services — it's just neighbours getting together to learn a recipe and share a meal.

You join a small group in the host's kitchen. You cook one of their family recipes hands-on, sit down to share the meal, and leave with the recipe to remake at home. Groups stay small so it feels like cooking with a neighbour, not a class in a studio.

No to browse. You can explore hosts, meals, and the map without signing up. You'll need an account when you want to request a seat so we can reach you about confirmation and the address.

Open a host or meal, pick an upcoming time, and request a seat. The host confirms the request — a request alone is not a confirmed booking. Exact address is shared after confirmation. By requesting a seat you agree to the Guest Terms.

In the host's kitchen — ordinary homes, not restaurants. Public pages and the map show an approximate neighbourhood only. We store the street address privately and share it after a booking is confirmed.

Privacy for hosts. Pins and neighbourhood labels are approximate on purpose so hosts aren't doxxed by public listings. Once you're confirmed for a meal, you get the address you need to arrive.

Hosts set the price of meals. Expect a fair price for a real home-cooking experience — typically $60 to $120 — covering ingredients, prep, and hospitality at the table. Amounts on the site use your selected city's currency.

Guests pay by credit or debit card after a host confirms your seat — from Account → Bookings. You pay the listed meal price (no separate guest service fee on top). Hosts keep about 90%; HostMeals' 10% covers site and card costs. Host payouts are processed weekly after we review completed bookings — see Payments & cancellations.

Yes — card is the only payment method. In Host Studio → Payments, hosts connect with card payments (a short setup with bank details for card payouts). Host payouts are processed weekly after we review completed bookings; your bank may take additional time to make funds available.

Full recipes stay locked on the host's page until you've cooked with them. After you've attended (or otherwise unlocked access), you can open the recipe to remake it at home. The lock and check badges on meal cards show which recipes you've unlocked.

Put allergies and dietary needs in the note on your seat request before you book, and confirm the host can reasonably accommodate you. Messaging continues after you request. Home kitchens are not allergen-controlled restaurants — cross-contact can happen. If your needs can't be met safely, don't book that meal. See the Guest Terms.

Only if the host agrees in advance and seats are available. Don't bring uninvited guests. For children, check with the host — kitchens and meal times vary, and hosts set their own house rules.

Sample hosts are demo profiles so you can browse how the marketplace looks in different cities and cuisines. They're labelled on meal and host cards. Their dates, seats, and reviews are fictional examples — you cannot request a real seat with a sample host. Real hosts finish setup and may be followed up if something looks off.

Email support@hostmeals.com for account, booking, payment, or privacy requests. We aim to reply within 2 business days. For emergencies at a meal, contact local emergency services.

Use the country flag and city filters on Hosts or Meals. Prices and map pins follow the city you select. We're building neighbourhood by neighbourhood — starting from Toronto — while letting you explore sample markets elsewhere.

The meal agreement is between you and the host. HostMeals is a platform that connects neighbours; we don't cook the food or operate the kitchen. Guests and hosts should read the Guest Terms and Host Terms. If you feel unsafe at any point, leave and contact emergency services if needed.

Tell the host as early as you can — seats are limited. For card bookings, see the full Payments & cancellations page. In short: more than 48 hours before start — full refund of what you paid; 24–48 hours — 50% of the meal price refunded; under 24 hours or no-show — no refund. Refunds are reviewed and processed manually — email support@hostmeals.com; approved refunds return to your original payment method.

Hosts should cancel only for legitimate reasons and communicate promptly. If a host cancels a paid card booking, you should expect 100% of what you paid (the listed meal price). There is no separate guest service fee. HostMeals absorbs the payment-processing loss in that case. Refunds go to your original payment method — see Payments & cancellations.

Repeated host cancellations may eventually affect ranking or booking privileges.

Apply here. Share what you cook, your neighbourhood (public), and your street address (private). After you finish setup your page can go live; we may follow up if something looks off. Hosting is neighbour hospitality — teach a recipe you already cook, keep groups small, and price fairly. In studio, connect card payments under Payments so guests can pay by card — see "Do hosts need to set up card payments?" above. You're responsible for whether you're allowed to host at your address and for food safety; see the Host Terms.

That depends on where you live — zoning, leases, condo rules, and local food laws vary. Hosts alone are responsible for checking what's allowed at their address before listing. HostMeals doesn't investigate or warrant that hosting is legal at your location. If it isn't allowed where you live, don't list.

We use contact details for applications, booking requests, and optional accounts. Host street addresses stay private and never appear on public pages or the map. See our Privacy Policy. To request deletion, email us from the address you used to register.