Membership
By introduction.
Dues on application.
Grand Couvert is a house of 220 households. There is no public list, no tier above the tiers, and no way in but through someone who already dines with us.
Dues are set once, annually, per household — never by the evening, never by the bottle, and never as a share of what you spend elsewhere.
The Manner of It
How admission proceeds
Four steps, unhurried. Most introductions take a season from first letter to first evening.
An introduction
From a member in good standing, or from a house we work with. It is the only way in, and it has been since 1987.
A conversation
An hour with an officer of the house, in Paris, in New York, or at a table of your choosing. We are trying to learn how you like to eat.
The roll
The house meets monthly. The roll is limited to 220 households; when it is full, an introduction waits, and we say so plainly.
The first evening
Admission is marked with a dinner laid by the house. It is our way of showing you the work rather than describing it.
The Request
Request an introduction
Write in your own words. If you do not yet have an introduction, say so — occasionally a house we work with will make one on a member’s behalf.