Chic Entertaining Ideas: Not long ago, I was lucky enough to attend the birthday of one of my close friends (who also has a food blog on dog-friendly cafes – check it out here).

With a theme of ‘Drink Champagne And Dance On Tables’ the stylish shindig featured luscious, bite-sized desserts, a lavish assortment of hors d’oeuvres and copiously flowing amounts of champagne.

Read on for chic entertaining ideas for your next party.

Anything goes! The hosts played with lots of patterns rather than sticking to a specific theme, although gold featured prominently in the decor.

Bunches of fresh pink flowers were placed on every available surface in simple, clear vases so as not to interfere with the bling.

The spread of food was varied and catered to all tastes, from cucumber sandwiches accessorised with gold-flagged toothpicks to fresh rock oysters featuring home-made accompaniments of pomegranate and Bloody Mary inspired tomato relish.

Both charcoal-infused and regular crackers accompanied a cheese board of blue cheese, Brie, goat’s cheese and dates.

Even though it’s not one of the most original of chic entertaining ideas , having a cheese plate at your party is always worthwhile if you’re searching for vegetarian options to offer your guests.

You can mix it up with different varieties of cheeses, fruits and biscuits – just make sure you know the connoisseur level of your guests so you don’t either scare them or bore them with cheeses that are not to their taste.

Cheese novices will enjoy simpler varieties such as Colby, Cheddar and Fetta, while more experienced cheese-oholics will enjoy Danish Cream Havarti, Boccocini and even fried cheeses such as Saganaki can be a hit!

Sigh. That was a visual feast and possibly the most stylish celebration I’ve been to in a while.

Hopefully you’ve come away with a few choice entertaining ideas for your next bash.

Now for the gossip….

Did we drink champagne? Yes. Did we dance on tables? That remains a secret.

Thanks a bunch Tarika and Hamish!