How to Dine Alone
Maybe you're on business or your loved one is on business and you find yourself suddenly alone, a bit bored and with a nagging anxiety to go out. You cringe, afraid that going out alone means dining alone. However, in today's society, stereotypes of old have long since evaporated. Here are some shameless tips on how to dine alone at a restaurant.
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Instructions
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Pick your spot. Certain restaurants are festive, serve portions family style and don't necessarily lend themselves to flying solo. Avoid places like Buca Di Beppo, Benihana or others where they barely have tables for four, let alone one. Also avoid super-high-end restaurants such as Ruth Chris or Lawry's. While there is certainly nothing wrong with eating alone, these restaurants are meant to be savored with friends and family.
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Dine early or later. Restaurants will never turn a patron away and will seat you solo, but the wait may be less and you may feel more comfortable eating before 7 p.m. or after 9 p.m. Not only will you stay away from the restaurant's peak time, you will probably get better service since they won't be as busy.
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Choose an off night. Friday and Saturday nights are date nights. While you most certainly can go to a restaurant alone on those evenings, you might feel more comfortable going on other nights that aren't so blatantly romantic or intimate. Instead, check out a movie.
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Be confident. Don't cower from the fact that you have shown up alone. Own it. Confidence is the key. When you place your name down for a table or speak with the hostess, politely say, "One please," or "Just me tonight." You don't need apologies, long stories or excuses about how you're traveling on business, your date got in a bizarre bicycle accident or you heard about this restaurant and just "had to check it out and couldn't wait for your friends!" They won't care, and neither should you.
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Sit at the bar or lounge. Chances are you will not be the only one eating alone in a fairly crowded restaurant. A lot of people prefer to dine alone in the bar area since there is no set table structure. Who knows? You might meet someone in your very same situation.
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Bring a good book. Don't go overboard with this, show up with 15 law books and announce to the world how you are studying for the bar. Simply bring a book or reading material that you can enjoy with your meal. The worst thing you can do when you dine alone in a restaurant is to be peering at everyone else eating. It's uncomfortable for you, and it will certainly be uncomfortable for the other patrons. That's not to say your nose has to be buried in a book, but you get the general idea.
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Comments
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rahulatehhow
Jan 12, 2011
Be yourself, it's more cool to dine alone, you certainly will have a aura of mystery around you provided you have dressed and groomed well, not to mention the group of girlfriends who will be waving at you from the opposite restaurant wait-list, especially if you are seated near the window ;), believe me. -
ehower2008
Jul 13, 2008
First of all feel confident about it. Tell yourself that you are used to doing it. Tell yourself the staff is used to seeing you alone. Tell yourself you are an eccentric millionaire wanting to eat alone. Choose a table where you can face the wall or at the least number of tables or people and not at everyone else. Don't keep looking around to see if others are looking at you, that is a dead giveaway that you are not confident about dining alone. Be interested only in your food.
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ehower2008
Jul 13, 2008
First of all feel confident about it. Tell yourself that you are used to doing it. Tell yourself the staff is used to seeing you alone. Tell yourself you are an eccentric millionaire wanting to eat alone. Choose a table where you can face the wall or at the least number of tables or people and not at everyone else. Don't keep looking around to see if others are looking at you, that is a dead giveaway that you are not confident about dining alone. Be interested only in your food.
