宴席

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 宴席, read えんせき, means a banquet or gathering where people share food and drink.
• Basic usage: It is used to describe conversation at a drinking gathering or a banquet welcoming a guest of honor.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Tone compared with 飲み会
  • 飲み会 is an everyday word for a gathering to drink together. 宴席 better suits formal writing or descriptions of a banquet’s atmosphere.