Posted on April 15, 2009 - by Janice
5 Ways to Enjoy Restaurant Dining – Solo
Before I started this blog, I did a survey on the ever-valuable surveymonkey.com.
I asked:
- What do you like most about solo travel? See “The Top Ten Reasons You Love to Travel Solo” for the answers to that.
- What do you like least about traveling solo? Dining alone in a restaurant tied with the single travel supplement.
The supplement issue was discussed in the last post. Now, five ways to deal with dinner alone.
- Eat at the bar while reading a very funny book. One that makes you laugh out loud. You’ll be talking to people in no time.
- Choose a casual restaurant. The tables are more likely to be communal or very close together — conversation will happen naturally.
- Ask the host/hostess whether there is another solo diner who they think would like company. They can check and make the introductions.
- Scan the restaurant for the most likely people to invite you to join them and come up with a good question to ask them. If you’re in a foreign country, it may be a translation of a menu item.
- If all else fails, there is the classic — read a book
Do you have other ideas? Please share them in the comments.
Keep smiling. Keep traveling.
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May 4, 2009
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Jean – OurExplorer Tour Guide said:
Yep, it’s sometimes awkward to eat solo, and some people are very poor at it. Thanks for the tips. I would add-
-Find a seat by the window where there are views outside.
-Focus on the food. Well, some people enjoy taking photos for alien foods and then eat.
-Find a local guide, and dine together during the trip.
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May 2, 2009
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Evelyn Hannon said:
Good article. Thanks. This is my tip for solo dining. If you are in the same city for a few days choose a neighbourhood restaurant and frequent it. Chat with the staff. Ask their opinions on what to see, do. When you come back for your next meals they will greet you, ask how your day was and whether their suggestions were good ones, etc. By day three they’ll consider you a local. Try it. It really works!
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April 29, 2009
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Peter said:
Yeah, this is a tricky one. I even feel awkward going on a lunch break at home by myself
Communal tables are a great thing, but they can also increase the feeling of loneliness. There’s nothing like sitting there having to stare at other people.
One other idea to add to the list is to go eat somewhere where there is alternative entertainment going on; dinner and show for instance. I spent a night in Dublin eating at a bar watching a live singing act. I didn’t miss not having any conversation at that point.