Your turn to host dinner? Avoid cracking under pressure with these expert tips.

It’s heading towards that time of year when, thanks to the cold, “in” becomes slightly more enticing than “out”, dinner-wise. Yes, soon you’ll be invited to a series of intimate-yet-sophisticated candlelit suppers at various tasteful people’s houses and, as a consequence, be expected to host your own. Uh oh. Do you have the time?

The answer is yes, you do. In fact, putting together an elevated entertainment offer needn’t mean hours in the kitchen, if we are to believe award-winning London-based mixologist Mr Ryan Chetiyawardana, the man behind esteemed South Bank bar Dandelyan, and Cub, a new zero-waste restaurant in Hoxton. Mr Chetiyawardana’s new book Good Together: Drink And Feast With Mr Lyan And Friends is all about, as he puts it “good times with friends and family”.

“Given that bringing friends together is harder amid today’s fast-paced lifestyles,” he writes in the book’s introduction, “making these moments properly memorable should be a priority.” In the course of the book, he provides sample menus for a range of convivial situations, sorting them across two axes – dark to light and intimate to raucous. For each occasion, he suggests one of his own home drinks recipes while calling on one of his many celebrated kitchen chums – such as Mr James Lowe of Lyle’s and Mr Nuno Mendes of Chiltern Firehouse – to propose the food. Of course, it’s not all about following the recipes therein (though they’re excellent), but approaching entertaining with the right mindset. Scroll down for Mr Chetiyawardana’s top tips for doing just that.

“The key to any great evening is to cater to your audience,” says Mr Chetiyawardana. “A vast roast rib of beef doesn’t feel right for an intimate date night, while painstaking tweezer food isn’t appropriate for a homely catch-up with old friends. You know your friends and family best – and if you don’t know your guests (yet), you know the atmosphere and pitch you’re aiming at. This is your guide! Think about the mood you want to create, and plan accordingly based on your intuition and own preferences. If you know that your friends love a big family meal with shared dishes and pitchers of drinks, play to your strengths. I love pre-mixing a bottle of homemade citrus vodka with pineapple syrup, then letting guests build their own highballs.”

“We are creatures that don’t do well with monotony. Try something new, add a twist, take inspiration. It doesn’t need to be a complete overhaul – the best way to start is to change one element. If you know you love an old fashioned, try a different spirit or an infused sugar; if you love lasagne, substitute a herb in (or out), or try haggis in the ragu (it’s awesome).”

“The key to any good gathering is timing. Plan in advance – get the hard work done so you’re not flustered in the moment. This is how all professional bars and kitchens work. It is so far from ‘cheating’ – it’s the sign of someone who knows what they’re doing. No one wants to be in the back, shaking margaritas in the kitchen, when everyone else is in the living room having fun, so choose wisely, and then get the groundwork done ahead of time. Batched cocktails – in jugs or bottles – are your saviours here.”

“Trying to be flashy in front of your friends will be met with the ridicule it deserves, but there’s nothing wrong with adding theatre and flair to your drinking and feasting. Saving some final flourishes is ideal to achieve this, and some elements are best done in the moment rather than being prepped in advance. Little touches like adding a citrus twist to a drink, or flaming a brûlée at the table, make much more of an impact when done in company. Again, it comes down to reading the individuals you’re socialising with, and treating them like individuals.”

“Food and drinks are nothing without context. A great drink will never save a dismal experience, but great atmosphere is taken into the stratosphere by the right offering. So getting the lighting and music right is the key to shaping the experience. Candles won’t go down well if you’re watching the game with friends; harsh lighting will kill the mood at a late-night party. Paying attention to the details might seem simple, but it makes all the difference. A couple of edible flowers as a garnish on a Collins, for instance, elevates the drink to special levels.”

“This may sound like a dismissive – or hollow – statement, but it’s often overlooked. The best thing about bringing food and drink and friends together is that it’s very conducive to having fun. Entertaining should not cause you stress, so don’t let the occasion turn into a trial. That way everyone’s happy!”

Good Together: Drink And Feast With Mr Lyan And Friends (Frances Lincoln) is out 28 September