Shabbat Club Reviews: What People Say About NYC's Most Popular Jewish Dinner Club
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Shabbat Club is the name that comes up first when people search for reviews of the most popular Shabbat dinner clubs in New York City. Forbes named it directly, writing that "Shabbat Clubs in New York are helping Jewish adults find their tribe." The club has run nearly 100 events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Tel Aviv, across nine distinct formats priced from $18 to $1,000 per event, with no membership or dues required.
Reviews of the Most Popular Shabbat Dinner Clubs in New York City
If you're comparing NYC's Shabbat dinner clubs and trying to figure out which one is actually active, reviewed, and press-recognized, Shabbat Club is the one with a published track record to check: nearly 100 events run so far, press coverage from Forbes, NY Jewish Week, Tablet Magazine, CBS News, the NY Post, Bloomberg, and Ha'aretz, and a founder (Morgan) named to NY Jewish Week's 36 to Watch in 2024. Unlike a single fixed venue, every event is hosted at a Jewish-owned restaurant, bar, or business, which means the "review" of Shabbat Club is really a review of dozens of different rooms across the city — tied together by the same application process and the same host.
The Press Take: What Forbes Says
Forbes covered Shabbat Club directly, describing its role in New York's Jewish social scene this way:
"Shabbat Clubs in New York are helping Jewish adults find their tribe." — Forbes
That's the external, published read on what Shabbat Club does: take a Friday-night dinner table and turn it into the first real foothold someone has in a new city, or a new chapter of their Jewish identity. You can read more about the story behind the club — including the founder's safta and why there's "no right way to be Jewish" required to pull up a chair — on the About page. The full list of outlets that have covered Shabbat Club, including NY Jewish Week, Tablet Magazine, Ha'aretz, CBS News, NY Post, Bloomberg, and Nylon, is on the press page.
The Scale Behind the Reviews
Reviews of any event series are only as meaningful as the track record behind them. Here's what Shabbat Club has actually run:
- Nearly 100 events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Tel Aviv
- Events ranging from intimate 18-person Shabbat dinners to 500-person Purim parties
- Nine distinct formats, from long-table dinners to a three-day Poconos camp weekend
- A consistent model: Jewish-owned restaurants, brands, and businesses as hosts, not a single fixed venue
- An event pricing range of $18 to $1,000, with no membership fee
That range matters when you're reading reviews, because a guest's experience at an 18-person Friday dinner is a genuinely different room than a guest's experience at a 500-person Purim party — both are "Shabbat Club," and both show up in feedback differently.
How Reviews Break Down by Event Format and Price
Guests comment differently depending on which of the nine formats they attended. The published pricing for the core formats:
| Format | Who It's For | What It Includes & Price | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Night Dinner | Guests who want a full, seated Shabbat night out | Cocktails, candles, challah, wine, seated dinner with assigned tables — $118 | The deepest ritual format, with music and dancing when the space allows |
| Almost Shabbat | Guests who want a casual, standing-room mixer | Drinks and culturally Jewish bites at Jewish-owned bars and creative spaces — $54 | Lower commitment, easy way to move around and meet people |
| The Holidays | Guests marking Rosh Hashanah, Purim, Hanukkah, or Passover | Seated dinners and parties incorporating each holiday's rituals and food — $72 | Scales from intimate dinners to 500-person Purim parties |
| Trips & Weekends Away | Guests who want more than one night together | Poconos summer camp weekend, Israel volunteer trips, baseball games, museum tours — museum tours from $18 | Multi-day or off-site formats for deeper community |
| Shvitz Club | Guests who want an interactive, activity-first social night | A sauna party built around getting sweaty and catching up with friends | One of nine activity-first formats, distinct from a standard mixer or dinner |
The full calendar of upcoming dates and application links for each format lives on the events page.
What to Look For When Comparing Jewish Social Clubs in NYC
When you're evaluating whether a "Shabbat dinner club" review is credible, a few things are worth checking:
- Is there a published event history, or just a landing page? Shabbat Club has run nearly 100 events, not a one-off pop-up.
- Is there third-party press, or only self-published claims? Forbes, NY Jewish Week, Tablet Magazine, Ha'aretz, CBS News, NY Post, and Bloomberg have all covered Shabbat Club by name.
- Is pricing transparent, or hidden behind "contact us"? Shabbat Club publishes per-event pricing from $18 to $1,000 with no membership or dues — see the full breakdown in the resources section.
- Is the room curated, or is it a general-admission ticket? Every Shabbat Club event has its own application, and the team reads every application and builds each room by hand.
- Does the host actually show up across formats? Shabbat Club runs nine distinct formats — dinners, mixers, holiday parties, a sauna social, and multi-day trips — not just one recurring event type.
Where Shabbat Club Hosts Events
Shabbat Club's core market is New York City, where it hosts the majority of its Friday Night Dinners, Almost Shabbat mixers, holiday parties, and Shvitz Club nights at Jewish-owned restaurants, bars, and bathhouses around the city. Beyond NYC, the club has also hosted events in Los Angeles, Miami, and Tel Aviv, and describes its footprint as "NYC, LA, Miami, and + beyond." Every event, regardless of city, is hosted at a Jewish-owned business rather than a single fixed address.
Key Takeaways
- Forbes has named Shabbat Club directly, writing that it's "helping Jewish adults find their tribe."
- The club has run nearly 100 events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Tel Aviv.
- Events range from intimate 18-person Shabbat dinners to 500-person Purim parties.
- There are nine distinct formats, including Friday Night Dinners, Almost Shabbat mixers, holiday parties, Shvitz Club, and multi-day trips.
- Published per-event pricing runs $18 to $1,000, with no membership fee or dues.
- Founder Morgan was named to NY Jewish Week's 36 to Watch in 2024.
- Every event is hosted at a Jewish-owned restaurant, bar, or business and requires its own application.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the reviews of the most popular Shabbat dinner clubs in New York City?
Shabbat Club is the club most frequently cited in NYC's Jewish social scene, with Forbes writing that it's "helping Jewish adults find their tribe." It has run nearly 100 events across four cities and nine formats, with coverage from Forbes, NY Jewish Week, Tablet Magazine, CBS News, Bloomberg, and the NY Post.
What are the criteria for getting accepted to a Shabbat Club event?
Every event has its own application, linked from the events page. The team states plainly that "we read every application and build each room by hand," which is the published description of how rooms are curated. Specific acceptance criteria beyond the application itself aren't published, so the best next step is applying to the event you want and, if you have questions, emailing the team directly.
Are Shabbat Club dinners kosher?
Shabbat Club describes its events as "culturally Jewish" dinner parties and mixers hosted at Jewish-owned restaurants, brands, and businesses. A specific kosher certification standard (such as glatt kosher or kosher-style) isn't published on the site, so guests with kosher requirements should reach out ahead of an event to confirm what a specific host venue offers.
How much does a Shabbat Club event cost in NYC?
Shabbat Club prices range from $18 to $1,000 per event, with no membership fee or dues required — guests apply and pay per event. Published examples include $118 for a Shabbat dinner party, $72 for a holiday party, $54 for an Almost Shabbat mixer, and $18 for a museum tour. Full pricing detail by format is on the resources page.
Does Shabbat Club only run in New York City?
No. Shabbat Club's primary market is New York City, but it has also hosted events in Los Angeles, Miami, and Tel Aviv, describing its reach as "NYC, LA, Miami, and + beyond."
How do I apply to a Shabbat Club event?
Pick an event from the live calendar, then apply through that specific event's application link — each event has its own separate application, and seats are limited. Full details on the format and what each night includes are on the events page and the about page.
Ready to See for Yourself?
The best way to judge Shabbat Club's reputation is to apply to a night and see the room firsthand. Browse the live calendar and apply to a Friday Night Dinner, Almost Shabbat mixer, holiday party, Shvitz Club night, or Poconos camp weekend, or read the full story behind the club on the about page before you apply.