Table for One

We all know it well. That unsettling feeling when your stomach starts rumbling and the clock’s  ticking reminds you it is time to eat, but you’re alone. Mastering the art of dining out as a single person and getting past the dreaded table for one is no easy feat. Where to go, what to eat when you’re not in the mood for takeout or yet another night home alone when no friends are at hand to accompany you for a bite?

Venturing out to a “table for one” can be a test to the solo diner's psyche,  often invoking the feelings of inadequacy from yesteryear, high school or college when you thought that what others thought of you meant more than your own opinion.

But dining out alone is not and should not be as initimidating as one might think. There is food, décor and other diners on which to focus, and the opportunity to strike up conversations with some of the regulars. The chance to taste test new restaurants, behave spontaneously or anonymously can be a pure, unadulterated pleasure. That is a risk worth taking if it keeps you from yet another unmemorable night in front of the television.

This is not to imply that dining out solo requires no skill.    It is not a concept  we are taught as children or encouraged to develop as we grow older, probably because society teaches us that food represents the coming together of family and friends and is meant to be enjoyed that way. And while those antiquated norms may leave some people cowering over a carton of Chinese, the question is will you settle on being one of them?

While books have been written and websites devoted to the topic, the purpose here is not to tell you which are the friendliest places to dine alone in your city. Nor is it to list off the various stage props you can bring with you to make yourself look busy,  or the opening or pick-up lines one can use to get conversations started. No, this is just to suggest that becoming a member of the ever growing, increasingly welcomed by restaurants,  solo diner community presents you with opportunity for delicious adventures at every or any meal.

More to Explore from SingleEdition.com

Cheap Date Ideas: Sunday Suppers

Small Space Entertaining: Hosting  a Single's House Party