How to Throw a Retro Fondue Party at Home

Shopping Party Like It’s 1969: How to Throw a Fondue Fête at Home The throwback dish is the perfect cozy dish for stress-free winter entertaining. By Callie Sumlin December 18, 2025 Every year when the leaves fall from the trees and the weather turns crisp, I haul my fondue pot out from the back of my kitchen cabinet, purchase a borderline obscene amount of Alpine cheese, and prepare to host one of my favorite gatherings of the year: a fondue party. Fondue parties are comforting and convivial, the perfect way to embrace the it’s-dark-by-5 p.m. season with soft lighting, cozy vibes, and a bubbling communal pot of cheese at the center of it all. The Swiss have been dipping bread in molten dairy for centuries, and the fondue entertaining craze of the 1960s and 1970s has, at least in the US, given the dish a bit of a retro reputation. It may seem a bit intimidating to pull off, but the truth is that a fondue-focused gathering is a host’s dream. Hear me out: You can prep almost everything in advance. All of that swirling and dipping action at the table is more interactive than a typical seated dinner, encouraging easy conversation, even amongst strangers. And each guest gets to choose their own adventure, taking the guesswork out of accommodating various food preferences and appetites. While the actual cooking involved for fondue night is minimal, getting a proper setup and the right accessories is key to creating the vintage ski lodge vibe your fondue party deserves. After delving into a few midcentury entertaining manuals, I’ve found the best hosting and decor tips to pull one off. Cue up the disco playlist and get ready for your new cold-weather ritual with the guide below. Fondue must-haves Fondue Pot This is the (literal) central component of the fondue experience, so it’s worth putting some thought into. Whether you go with an electric pot (something that plugs into the outlet) or a traditional, externally fueled option is a matter of personal preference. Consider where you plan to host your fondue party. If it’s somewhere with no easily accessible outlets, go for the traditional pot. The downside? The non-electric options require you to either purchase and stock an alternative fuel source (typically gel fuel) or keep the pot on the stovetop. If you plan to host more than six people, consider putting out multiple fondue pots. Cuisinart Fondue Pot $100 Amazon An adjustable temperature control knob holds cheese fondue or dipping broth at the ideal temperature for hours with no risk of scorching. This stainless steel pot can also be used to hold other items for entertaining — hot apple cider or mulled wine, queso for game day, chili, etc. All-Clad 13 Piece Fondue Set $270 All-Clad With a $270 price tag, this elegant set is an investment piece. It’s incredibly durable, easy to clean, and oven-safe. The slotted rim makes a convenient holder for fondue forks. Fondue forks Most fondue pots (including our recommendations above) come with long, slender fondue forks, but it’s always a good idea to have extras on-hand for extra guests or double-dipping scenarios. To lend a bit of vintage flair to the table, you can always pop over to Etsy or Ebay to find charming, wood-handled, rainbow-hued fondue forks at affordable prices. The two-tined forks are generally best for spearing meat, while the three- and four-tined options are better for breads, vegetables, and desserts. Ebay Vintage Color Coded Wooden & SS Fondue Forks $24 Ebay Plates According to Gourmet International’s 1969 tome Fondue: The Fine Art of Fondue, Chinese Wok and Chafing Dish Cooking , sectioned-off fondue plates are ideal to “please the young hostess with a flair.” Translation: All the cool fondue parties have fondue plates, which sort of resemble kids’ plates with different sections to keep foods and sauces separated. While fondue manuals like 1968’s Fondue Cook-In suggest serving smoked ham or sausage alongside the fondue, I personally prefer a zippy green salad to balance all the richness. Kaito Rectangle Stoneware Bento Plate $30 Crate & Barrel For a chic, modern spin on the theme, we like a bento plate. While it’s still a bit of a niche purchase, you’ll want to haul this rectangular stoneware bento plate out for snacky girl dinners on the regular. Hawkins New York Essential Dinnerware, 16 Piece Set $258 Hawkins New York If specific plates for a fondue party seem a bit much, you can still bring some throwback plateware to the fondue function with this terracotta-hued set. The expansive flat surface offers plenty of room for various dippers and resting forks. Even without dividers, these plates are large enough to accommodate salad and fondue. Platters The majority of prep work for a fondue party involves assembling various items for dipping: cubed bread, sliced vegetables, boiled baby potatoes, cut fruit, etc. A platter to transport all of these ingredients is essential. Pro tip: If you’re prepping fruits for chocolate fondue dipping (strawberries, melon, pineapple, peaches, orange sections, etc.) dry them on a paper towel before placing on your platter to ensure that the chocolate will adhere. World Market Round Colored Glass Serving Board $25 $17 (32% off) World Market Available in lavender or mint green, this stylish glass serving platter has a handle for easy passing around the table. When it’s not fondue night, it doubles as a pretty platter for a charcuterie spread. Yinka Ilori Oorun Didun Ceramic Serving Platter $89 MoMA While colorful sliced vegetables and fruits and cubed bread are traditional cheese fondue dippers, cornichons and pickled pearl onions are some of my favorite ways to bring much-needed acidity to the rich dish. Whatever your dipper of choice, it will look better on the table with this fluted-edged, brightly colored platter as the backdrop. at home Copper Oval Serving Tray, Large $20 at home Most entertaining guides in the ’60s and ’70s feature metal servingware. For a nod to the past, opt for this chic copper-finished tray. The handles make it easy to carry. Williams Sonoma Nito Bread Basket $35 Williams Sonoma Woven accents and natural fibers were another big design trend of the era, so including something like this nito fern basket for holding bread cubes or a whole rustic loaf will no doubt add to the retro ambiance. Setting the table Napkins Textile trends in the late ’60s and early ’70s were dominated by earth tones—with a particular emphasis on mustard yellow, avocado green, and burnt orange. Geometric patterns, florals, and paisley were popular as well. Etsy Vintage 70s Vera Neumann Orange Yellow Fabric Dinner Napkins $38 Etsy You can hunt for vintage picks on Etsy from popular designers of the era like Vera Neumann, but it’s pretty easy to find contemporary riffs on the look as well. Urban Outfitters Tortuga Forma Double Sided Dinner Napkin Set $88 Urban Outfitter These 100% cotton cocktail napkins have shifting, psychedelic patterns and a rich color palette that hides stains well. Tablecloth When you’re selecting a tablecloth for a fondue party, pick something that’s easy to clean; melty cheese generally results in an above-average amount of spills and splatters. Marimekko Tiiliskivi Cloth $204 $154 (25% off) Nordic Nest Machine-washable organic cotton in a mustard yellow color and mid-century print—what’s not to love? Serena & Lily Seersucker Tablecloth $128 $89 (30% off) Serena & Lily Puckered seersucker tablecloths were a popular pick in the ’70s since they didn’t require ironing—one less thing to worry about before guests arrive. Glassware With all of the back and forth table movement of dipping and reaching, short-stemmed or stemless glasses are the move to avoid tipped and/or broken wine glasses. AllModern Orland 4 Piece Glass Glassware Set $55 AllModern These mini glass goblets in an array of jewel tones are perfect for pours of kirsch (cherry brandy; a typical fondue accompaniment), a crisp white wine, or a pour of dry cider. TOSSWARE 16 oz Stemless Wine Glasses $28 $22 (21% off) Amazon For extra protection against broken glass, these stemless wine glasses are made with copolyester, a shatterproof, ultra-durable material. The amber color has an earthy vintage note, but these are also available in mixed colors. Lighting Your goal: Cultivate a warm, vaguely Scandinavian ski-cabin vibe. The big light is most definitely not invited to this fondue party. Balmuda The Lantern $154 Balmuda For warm, portable lighting sans flame, I’m obsessed with this adjustable lantern, which brings a soft golden-hour glow indoors or out and is clean and modern yet still folksy. It may not be quite true to the era, but it has a real practical value add: No one has to worry about dragging their sleeve over a live flame as they reach for the fondue pot. CB2 Coco Smoked Amber Glass Tealight Candle Holder $15 $12 (20% off) CB2 Low-profile tea light holders like these (that double as vases) are good because they shield the candle’s flame from any wayward bell sleeves. Nordtrice Candles 5-pack Taper Candles Summer Marble $27 Nordtrice Bold, colorful swirls bring the swingin' '60s to your table. Read more shopping stories on Bon Appétit The Best Coffee Mugs, According to Our Opinionated Editors Baking Slab Has Brought Some Much Needed Crunch Into My Life The Snacks We Couldn't Stop Eating in November