An Honest Review of Parlor Social Club (2026)
Parlor Social Club is the most expensive app on this list. $40/month for membership, plus whatever individual events cost. And you can't just sign up. You apply, they review you, and they decide whether to let you in. That kind of exclusivity either appeals to you or it doesn't. I was curious enough to apply. They let me in. I attended five events over two months. Here's the honest breakdown.
How It Works
Parlor Social Club vets every member through an application process. Once you're in, you get a personalized calendar of events: dinners, art openings, wellness workshops, professional mixers, rooftop parties. The algorithm learns your preferences and improves its recommendations over time. Events are in New York, Miami, and Chicago.
What I Liked
The people are interesting
The vetting works. Every event I went to had a room full of people who were doing genuinely interesting things. Founders, artists, writers, people working on projects they were passionate about. The conversations were better than anything I've had at a random bar or a Meetup group. When you filter for a certain kind of engaged, curious person, the social experience improves dramatically.
Event curation is excellent
I went to a dinner at a chef's private studio, a gallery opening in Chelsea, a wellness workshop, a wine tasting, and a rooftop mixer. Each one felt intentionally planned. The venues were interesting, the formats varied, and the details (the food, the setup, the timing) were polished. This isn't "meet at a bar at 8." It's a curated experience.
The algorithm learns
By my second month, the event recommendations felt more dialed in. I'd shown interest in food-related events and creative gatherings, and my calendar reflected that. Less corporate mixers, more intimate dinners. That personalization makes the subscription feel more worthwhile over time.
What I Didn't Like
$40/month is real money
Let's do the math. $40/month for membership. Most events have an additional cost ($20-60). If you attend two events a month, you're spending $80-160. That's a serious social budget line item. For context, Timeleft costs $13/month. Pie is free. Parlor needs to justify a 3-10x premium, and while the quality is higher, the value equation depends entirely on your budget.
Three cities is limiting
New York, Miami, and Chicago. That's a slim footprint for a subscription product. If you travel or relocate, your membership might sit unused for months.
The exclusivity cuts both ways
The application process creates a certain vibe: elevated, curated, aspirational. Some people love that. Others will feel it's pretentious or gatekeep-y. I enjoyed the events and the people, but the branding around "tastemakers" and "creatives" can feel like it's trying too hard. The actual experience is less precious than the marketing suggests.
The Verdict
Parlor Social Club delivers on its promise: curated events with interesting people. If you're in NYC, Miami, or Chicago, have the budget, and want a social life that feels a cut above the usual apps, it's worth the application. The events are genuinely good and the community is strong. But $40/month plus event fees is a luxury, and there are free and cheaper alternatives that get you most of the way there. This is the first-class ticket of social apps. First class is nice. Economy still gets you to the same destination.
