Meet, eat, repeat: The app that's turning strangers into friends
At a party, a woman asked me, “Have you tried Timeleft? It’s this app where you dine with five strangers. I’ve met a range of interesting people through it. One was a private chef to a celebrity.”
It got me thinking. We’re all connected online, but people are feeling lonely. Last year, according to The Global State of Social Connections survey, 57% of Filipinos said they felt lonely. That’s crazy in a place known for being friendly and close-knit with family and friends.
Loneliness hits everyone. Your workaholic friend who can’t make time to hang out. The new expat in town who doesn’t know anyone. Maybe even you.
That’s where Timeleft piqued my interest. How does it work? Every Wednesday, six strangers meet for dinner in a new restaurant. All you have to do is reserve a seat for a fee and meet people matched to you by the app’s personality algorithm. The app will ask you whether you consider yourself more of a smart person or a funny person. Are your opinions usually guided by logic and facts, or emotions and feelings? There’s a series of self-assessment statements (e.g., “I’m an introverted person,” “I’m a self-motivated person”) rated on a scale. Sounds weird, right? But it’s not just about food. It’s about meeting people who are compatible with you.
So, can an app really help people connect? I decided to find out. I talked to people who’ve used Timeleft to learn what it’s all about and how it’s changing how we make friends today.
How timeleft started
Timeleft began with a straightforward idea: Get people to meet in person again. Maxime Barbier, the app’s founder and CEO, wanted to create real connections over a shared meal as an antidote to our culture of endless scrolling and social media validation.
The app launched in Lisbon in May 2023, first trying to connect people with similar bucket lists. But they quickly realized people wanted something more tangible—good food with good company.
Opal Wongwarthawat, the country lead for Timeleft in Asia Pacific, explains, “We shifted the focus to group dinners and restaurants because everyone loves a good meal. They love sharing it, and it’s a great way to bring people together.” This change worked. The app took off all over the world, including the Philippines. Now, it’s in 275 cities in 60 countries.
Martin Fausto, who’s used the app in Manila, describes the process: “It felt like a soiree but now more mature and independent. It was nice riding out the energy of everyone who seemed to be like-minded, such as travelers and open people with their own experiences and stories.” He also emphasized that the experience is not just for single people.
If you get nervous meeting new people, the app gives you some conversation starters. But most people, like Pamela Rose Evangelista from Cebu, find they don’t need them: “We instantly clicked, and it felt like we’d known each other for years.”
From strangers to friends
Timeleft users often find they make deeper connections than they expect. Take Pat Morada, who works in her family’s construction business. For her, the app was a way to meet new people. “I work for the family business, so I don’t really have office mates,” she says. “And I’m in Lipa during the week, so I don’t have many chances to meet people here.”
Morada found these dinners gave her more than just someone to eat with. She was surprised by how open people were: “People started sharing about their lives, like what they’ve experienced and even went through, like, the traumas and difficult times that they’re having at the moment. It was deep conversations that you don’t even expect to have with strangers.”
Martin Fausto felt the same way. He noticed that although people came from different backgrounds, they all wanted the same thing: “We may come from different experiences, but people are looking for the same thing—connection.”
These stories show that Timeleft isn’t just about eating out. It’s creating a place where people can talk and connect, turning strangers into friends over a meal.
Curbing loneliness in the digital age
Timeleft’s success points to a larger trend—people crave real, face-to-face connections in our digital world. It’s not just about the food; it’s about genuine human interaction.
This goes beyond Timeleft. Supper clubs, run groups, pickleball sessions, and other social meetups are growing as people seek ways to fight loneliness and build community. Like Timeleft, these groups make it easier for adults to form new friendships.
Pamela Rose Evangelista sums up her Timeleft experience: “It was a great reminder that I can have meaningful connections with strangers when I approach them without expectations. Going with the flow at times is also a great learning experience.”
I decided to try Timeleft myself. We ended up with two tables of six, which quickly merged into one big group. Morada mentioned this often happens, with people continuing to a bar after dinner.
The mix of people was eye-opening. I met a beauty industry marketer, a kids’ clothing designer, a journalist writing a book, an engineer, and more. We’d never have crossed paths otherwise. The dinner showed me how our experiences are universal despite our backgrounds.
Morada says, “There are so many opportunities out there; you just have to go out of your way and feel uncomfortable. The rewards are worth it.”
In a world where loneliness is common, Timeleft offers a simple solution. It shows that technology, often blamed for isolating us, can bring us together. It’s not just filling empty seats at dinner tables—it’s filling a gap in our social lives, one meal at a time.
My Timeleft experience gave me a new perspective. Despite life’s complexities, long days, or hours stuck in traffic, sometimes you need a little help from your friends—even if those friends start as strangers over dinner.
