The change reflects the increasing popularity of casual dining in France, where the apéro dînatoire typically takes place not at events but at home, with a few trays of light fare laid out on a coffee table along with wine. The only rule is that most items should be bite-size. The meal often begins with palate openers like crudités and charcuterie, which are followed by a round of something more substantial and warm such as miniquiches, gougères (French cheese puffs) or cake salé (a savory, meaty, cheesy bread). Dessert consists of fruits or mignardises (small pastries), like madeleines or macarons. When Charlotte Sitbon, a co-founder and the creative director of Balbosté, the Paris-based creative event agency that counts Dior, Louis Vuitton and Chanel as clients, recently hosted friends for apéro dînatoire at her apartment in Neuilly-sur-Seine outside Paris, she served a spread of winter radishes with butter, meatballs and an apple tart. “Everything is organic, seasonal and straightforward,” says Sitbon, 39. “No fuss, no styling for the sake of it, just food that feels generous.”