'I had a naked dinner with my boyfriend's best friend'

“I’ve always enjoyed being nude, but being in a communal setting is certainly a different experience,” one woman says of the naked dinner.

A new venture in one of the world’s biggest cities is promising to have people come naked and leave satisfied - but it’s not what you think.

The Füde Experience in New York City is a dinner experience where everyone eats naked, and prices start at $66.

The ‘restaurant’ was founded by artist Charlie Ann Max, and typically begins with bonding exercises, including breath work, before everybody strips down to their birthday suits for the meal.

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Chef Tara Thomas told The Sun she’d worked at several dinners with Charlie Ann, preparing vegan dishes for the adventurous diners.

“I’ve always enjoyed being nude, but being in a communal setting is certainly a different experience,” she said.

“Charlie and I hosted a dinner where we worked in the nude to acclimatise ourselves.

“This was my first in a completely nude environment and it’s definitely a boundary you have to cross for yourself, and getting the sense that you can be safe in your body."

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Charlie Ann Max is the founder of Füde dining, which combines nudity, art, and spirituality with vegan cuisine. Picture: Raoul Alejandre

"You can be safe in your body"

Tara told The Sun her experience at Füde was finding safety to be authentic.

"It's a safe space and you can be safe in your body," she said.

Imondre Anais has been attending Füde dinners since 2020, well before they got their current name.

“I’ve been a fan of the experience from its conception,” she told The Sun.

“I’m great friends with Charlie and a lot of us as a friend group are typically naked around each other.

“It’s been beautiful to kind of see this idea become such an empowering movement.

“I’m comfortable being nude, so it was just kind of a no-brainer for me to do it, to want to partake in this experience.

“But as Füde has continued to grow, it’s allowed me to see how important it is, and also how many women and men are affected by it in a positive way.”

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Many diners find the experience empowering by going au naturel to the vegan and spiritually-conscious events. Picture: Charlie Ann Max

"Take me as I am, my most natural is un-groomed"

Imondre said her attitude towards the event had changed since its beginnings.

“I don’t typically wear makeup on a day-to-day basis, but when it came to grooming (for Füde), I was like ‘do I get a wax? Do I maybe clean up my bikini line?’,” she told The Sun.

“The first experience I primped and prepped a little bit, but I really just couldn’t care less at this point, because it’s even more freeing.

“Take me as I am, my most natural is un-groomed.”

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Guests of the Füde experience find themselves bonding with others in more intimate ways. Picture: Charlie Ann Max

The intimate setting and judgment-free environment allows Füde attendees to connect with one another. Picture: Maya Bachmann

"Everyone knows what they've signed up for"

As for stripping off prior to the meal, Imondre said it wasn’t as awkward as it sounded.

“Most people would just run to the restroom, get naked and then kind of bring their clothes back out,” she told The Sun.

“It wasn’t really a spectacle, but I think that might be because everyone knows what they’ve signed up for.”

Imondre also revealed she’d invited her boyfriend’s best friend to the nude experience.

“It was interesting to be with someone who has never seen me nude,” she admitted.

“I’m not uncomfortable, we just hadn’t explored that in our relationship, so it was really cool to experience that with her.”

Originally published as 'I had a naked dinner with my boyfriend's best friend'