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Victoria Millar heard about Hidden Lounge through her sister.

An underground dinner party held at a Toronto loft, hosted by a professional chef. The gourmet menu of a restaurant, in the intimate setting of a home.

It sounded intriguing, so she and her boyfriend signed up. They were contacted by e-mail, and only then were they given an address and buzz code.

Armed with their own wine, they arrived one Sunday night. The loft had a chic, clean-cut atmosphere, the decor almost entirely black, brown or white.

In the main room sat a long, custom-made dinner table with seating for eight. Music played through large speakers. Intricate place settings had been laid out under the summer sunset that came in through west-facing windows.

It could have been the back room of a lounge, but it was a private home - and an underground supper club.

"I think it's a brilliant idea," said Ms. Millar, 22, a waitress. "It's unlike any other place that's around here."

The couple sat with six strangers while hosts Gillian Young, 21, and Durant Ellis, 28, who live in the loft, served a Jamaican-themed meal, including homemade cornbread and couscous, a spicy beef skewer with wasabi mayo sauce and oxtail stew served on sushi rice and nori. For dessert, there were two types of panacotta, each served in a shot glass.

Hidden Lounge is the pet project of Mr. Ellis, a chef, and Ms. Young, a bartender - an underground supper club for foodies who want an innovative gourmet meal, good wine and fresh conversation.

"It was just the idea of putting our skills together," said Ms. Young. "So we thought, maybe just throw some private dinner parties in our apartment and see how that goes."

But unlike with most "dinner parties," guests pay a fee for the privilege.

Ms. Young and Mr. Ellis throw private parties for individual guests with set menus, or parties for groups and families for which the menu can be chosen. Ms. Millar ate for free at the inaugural dinner, but typically the cost varies - from $30 per person to about $120, depending on the amount and quality of food.

Supper clubs are popular in the United States and Europe, but in Canada they're only barely legal. The lounge's website lists prices for meals. It's registered as a business, but not a restaurant - and has no liquor licence, as guests bring their own drinks (there's no corking fee).

But by declaring these events "private parties," Hidden Lounge manages to avoid a slew of regulations. Jim Chan, manager of Toronto Public Health's food-safety program, says if only private guests are invited, the lounge isn't considered a restaurant.

"That would be classified as a private party," Mr. Chan said, adding that complaints would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. "It's kind of almost like a little membership thing."

Registering as a restaurant would move the concept into an entirely different realm - Ms. Young and Mr. Ellis would have to add another bathroom, buy a commercial dishwasher and obtain insurance to cover their guests, to name a few changes. The premises would also be inspected regularly.

So they run it as a private party.

"As far as we know, we're not crossing any boundaries," Ms. Young said.

There are about 70 such clubs throughout the United States, said Dennis Kercher, 55, founder of Sacramento's The Hidden Kitchen, which Ms. Young cites as the inspiration for her own project. Mr. Kercher and his wife, Mary, came up with their concept a few years ago after reading about The Ghetto Gourmet, another supper club in nearby Oakland. It's word of mouth that has made the clubs so popular, particularly in California and New York.

"I think people are looking for something different in their dining experience," said Mr. Kercher. "This kind of fits that bill."

The Hidden Kitchen's waiting list for dinner parties has already grown to about 400 people, including one couple from Canada. At 10 or 12 per dinner, once a month, that's a three-year wait to sit in a stranger's home and eat a meal.

"I know, it's crazy," Mr. Kercher, a sales manager by trade, said with a laugh. "It's taken on a life of its own."

Ms. Young and Mr. Ellis believe they can grow to that level, focusing on business meetings, birthdays and dinners for interested people from across the city. They hope word of mouth will build them a mailing list, and turn a side project into a profitable venture.

Among their guests was Phill Sheckley, 34, a Toronto restaurant manager who said Hidden Lounge fills a niche market not served by mainstream restaurants.

"Not everyone wants waiters hovering over them. They don't want background noise from the tables. They want exclusiveness. And this gives you exclusiveness," he said. "I find it's really unique."