5 IDEAS FOR A GREAT SATURDAY NIGHT AT HOME

Hey you! Yes you. We feel your pain. Living in a shared house of students or young professionals, facing down the prospect of another Saturday night in together spent slobbing out in front of the telly watching talk shows or talent contests. It’s not exactly living your best life, hey?

Not to worry. Even if you’re confined to your gaff, with just a little effort and a whole lot of enthusiasm, you can still turn the biggest night of the week into the best one. Here’s how; our 5 ideas for a great Saturday night at home.

CHEESE & WINE NIGHT

Us Brits love a good cheese and wine night. And nope, we’re not having those stereotypes about the people of this country eating criminally mild cheddar, babybel and er, that’s it. 

Quite the opposite is true, in fact. Britain is currently revered on the world stage for the fantastic cheese it produces, and us Brits are some of the most enthusiastic cheese connoisseurs and consumers about. 

Great stuff. So if you’re gathered together as a group looking for night in inspiration, then remember that a cheeseboard never disappoints. If done right, that is.

The key to the best boards, we think, is a variety (around five cheeses should do it) of diverse textures and strengths. Though top quality, thoughtfully chosen cheeses can stand alone, matching condiments that complement your selection will elevate your cheese board to god tier. A drizzle of honey pairs perfectly with goats cheese, for instance, and you can’t have manchego cheese without a little membrillo, we think. 

BLACK TIE COCKTAIL NIGHT

Just because you’re staying home doesn’t mean you can’t dress up and make an effort. Who says you can’t get glammed up in a slinky dress, heels and have your hair and nails done (by a skilled and generous housemate, of course).

We love the idea of a black tie cocktail night in the domestic setting, with one member of the house designated to mixing drinks, another playing the host, and perhaps the most skilled cook taking care of the nibbles. Brilliant! 

The key to recreating mixologist worthy cocktails at home is quality ingredients – there’s a reason why cheap cocktails at Wetherspoons taste notably different to those at a trendy craft cocktail bar who are all about using organic ingredients. Indeed, your cocktails will reflect the quality of their ingredients, and as such, the best tasting cocktails begin with the best liquor.

That’s a vodka martini please barkeep. Shaken, not stirred…

HOST YOUR OWN CASINO NIGHT 

Speaking of James Bond, this brings us to our motivation for another great Saturday evening in; a casino night. Nope, this isn’t the laddish ‘poker’ nights which usually smell of flatulence and desperation. Instead, a classier affair, perhaps paired with the black tie and cocktails we already mentioned. 

All you need is a few card games, perhaps a roulette wheel, green numbered mat and chips (not actually difficult to find on Amazon for a reasonable price), and a little daredevil streak.

Remember to decide on a budget to avoid any irresponsible gambling. Or, you could just play with coppers, mitigating the risk of sore losers come the end of the night.

Read: 5 tips for hosting your own poker night

KARAOKE 

This one should come with a warning to the neighbours first, but it’s a Saturday night so we hope you’re afforded a little lenience. 

Once the note preparing your neighbours for noisy renditions of Sweet Caroline has been slipped under the door, it’s time to set up your place for a raucous, rowdy karaoke party. 

All you need here is an app screencast to your tele. We think this lubricates the party nicely, and makes it more of an ‘event’; you don’t just want to be singing along to a Youtube video off your phone, after all. Sing! Karaoke by Smule is one of the most popular out there, and has over 10 million songs to choose from. You can sing as a duet or group, upload your efforts online and share with friends, and even record with amusing filters, too! 

Adding alcohol to the party will create that loose-tongued, playful atmosphere that will get everyone on the microphone. Though of course, if you want your karaoke night accompanied only with soft drinks, that’s fine too.

TAPAS NIGHT 

Phew, we thought we lost a fair few cool points with that karaoke party. Let’s end with something a little more sophisticated; a tapas night. Since you’re staying home for Saturday night, and restaurants aren’t on the agenda right now, the idea here is to bring the restaurant into your front room. 

It’s all about the shared experience here, and what livelier, more interactive and exciting eating experience is there than tapas? Check out our piece on the 5 IDEAL places to eat tapas in London for some inspiration, and then bring that energy to your kitchen. Good luck!