A brilliant one-off evening in Exeter is of limited use if you live in North Devon and will never make the journey again. Meeting people as an adult works better when you can go back to the same place and see the same faces.
What is a social group, and how is it different from a night out?
A social group is an organised, repeating activity where people who arrive alone are expected: a hosted dinner, a walking group, a class, a games meetup or a volunteering shift. Someone runs it, there's a shared thing to do, and it happens again, so a first conversation can become a second one. A night out offers none of that on its own.
Why are so many people looking for this?
Because loneliness is common, and not only among older people. In the government's Community Life Survey for 2023/24, 7% of adults in England, about 3.1 million people, said they felt lonely often or always, and 16 to 24-year-olds were the most likely to say so (10%). In the UK, "how to make friends as an adult" is searched about 1,900 times a month, and "things to do in exeter" about 6,600 (Google Keyword Planner, October 2026).
Why should you care where you start?
Because one good evening rarely turns into friends on its own. The shorter the journey, the easier it is to become a regular. A pub night can be lovely, but a repeatable activity gives you another chance to talk to the same people.
The short answer: something close enough to repeat and structured enough that arriving alone feels ordinary. That means a hosted dinner with 
Dinners With FriendsDinners With FriendsDinners With Friends organises hosted dinners at restaurants across Devon, seating a small mixed group of strangers around one table. It positions itself as a friendship-focused alBuying guide · View store → if you want conversation straight away, a walking group such as Exeter and District Ramblers if you'd rather talk side by side, or a class, a games group or a volunteering shift if you'd like an activity to carry the conversation.
Want conversation straight away? A hosted dinner does that
Dinners With FriendsDinners With FriendsDinners With Friends organises hosted dinners at restaurants across Devon, seating a small mixed group of strangers around one table. It positions itself as a friendship-focused alBuying guide · View store → is the clearest option here if the point of the evening is meeting people. It puts a small group at a Devon restaurant table with a host to welcome guests and make introductions. Its current guide says tables usually have 10–12 seats and run for two to three hours. This is friendship-led social dining, not speed dating. How Dinners With Friends works
I would book it when I wanted a proper evening rather than another hobby to maintain. The shared meal gives everyone something to discuss; the host takes some of the sting out of arriving alone. The current dinner listings show the venue, menu and credit cost. Credits reserve your seat, while you pay the restaurant separately for your food and drink. How Dinners With Friends works
The trade-off is that a single dinner gives you one chance to connect. If you click with someone, a specific next thing suggested before you leave makes the difference: a walk next weekend or another dinner date.
Prefer talking side by side? A walking group suits you
Exeter and District Ramblers runs walks across Devon, from shorter midweek outings to longer Sunday routes. Its published guidance welcomes people for three taster walks before asking them to join. The walk leader is worth contacting before turning up, both for the meeting point and any late changes. Exeter and District Ramblers
This is my pick if a two-hour face-to-face conversation feels like too much too soon. A route gives you pauses, scenery and a natural way to fall into conversation with different people. It also offers the thing a one-off event cannot: the possibility of recognition next week. The right distance is one you would actually enjoy; a miserable nine-mile hike is a poor networking strategy. If you'd like to get your walking legs first, my coastal walks guide includes Hartland Quay in north Devon.
For an idea of what a local group run looks like, this short Radio Exe film of Exeter Riverside parkrun is from 2019. It shows the Quay setting, not today's course or schedule; the current organiser page has those. Radio Exe video
Want an activity to carry the first conversation? A class does it
Exeter College's adult pottery course has demonstrations, group work and one-to-one guidance. Beginners learn hand-building, throwing and glazing. A course beats a drop-in if you want familiarity to build across several meetings. Exeter College pottery course
If you want less commitment, The Jolly Pottery offers painting, wheel-throwing tasters and longer courses. The session type matters: a one-off painting table may be a good afternoon out, while a multi-session course gives you more time with the same people. The Jolly Pottery
The activity gives you a conversational opening that isn't “so, what do you do?” You can ask what someone is making, compare your very crooked first attempt and talk again the following week.
Like games? A group beats a private table
Board has a large game library and staff who can explain the rules at its South Street venue in Exeter. Its normal booking flow reserves a table for your own party, so I would look for a group event or arrange a public meetup first, rather than assume a solo table booking introduces you to strangers. Board Exeter
Board’s Google Maps listing and reviews are worth a look before going.
Games are good at giving strangers a shared problem to solve. If you are new, it's worth asking the organiser whether they teach games and welcome solo arrivals. A game with a fixed four-person table can be brilliant once you're seated, and awkward if all the tables arrive as established groups.
Want a general social calendar? Exeter Socials has one
Exeter Socials lists dining, walks, games, theatre and other meetups for adults around Exeter. It explicitly says newcomers and people arriving alone are welcome. I would use it to try two or three different formats before deciding what deserves a regular place in my diary. A broad calendar gives you variety; the drawback is that faces may change from event to event, so one recurring strand is the better bet if friendship is the aim. Exeter Socials Meetup
Want a reason to keep showing up? Volunteering gives you one
Devon County Council points residents towards Devon Connect and Devon Voluntary Action for local roles. A recurring shift with other volunteers is the one to look for if meeting people is part of your reason for going. A solo remote task may still matter, but it will do little for your social calendar. Devon County Council volunteering routes
The best role is one you would still value after the first month: a community garden, event team, food project or local charity. You are giving time to a real organisation, so reliability matters more than treating the shift as a social experiment.
How do you turn one good evening into actual friends?
My approach would be one social-first plan and one repeating activity: a Dinners With FriendsDinners With FriendsDinners With Friends organises hosted dinners at restaurants across Devon, seating a small mixed group of strangers around one table. It positions itself as a friendship-focused alBuying guide · View store → table this month, say, and a Ramblers walk twice. After the second encounter, a small, specific invitation works best: “I'm going back next Thursday; fancy coming?” That is much easier to answer than “we should hang out sometime.”
If the first room isn't yours, another format might be. Dinner rewards conversation; walking allows quieter moments; games and classes give you a task; volunteering gives you a shared purpose. The useful question is not “where are all the people?” It is “where would I enjoy returning?” If a sport suits you better than a dinner, my padel for beginners guide covers finding a game you can repeat.
Frequently asked questions
Can I go to a Dinners With Friends event alone?
Yes. Solo arrival is part of the format. A host welcomes the table and makes introductions; the current event listing has the exact venue and menu.
Is Dinners With Friends a dating event?
No. The organiser describes it as friendship-led social dining. If you specifically want dating, an event that says so explicitly is the better fit.
What is the easiest free or low-cost way to meet people in Devon?
A taster group walk is a good start if you enjoy walking. Exeter and District Ramblers allows three taster walks before membership; transport and any event-specific costs are worth checking with the leader. Volunteering can also create regular contact without buying a ticket.
What if I am nervous about turning up alone?
It helps to message the organiser first and ask where to meet, who will greet you and whether solo arrivals are common. A hosted dinner or led walk answers those questions more clearly than an unstructured night out.
