Do you ever eat in a restaurant alone?

Question

What do you think when you see people in restaurants eating alone?
'Table for one' sounds so sad. People might think I have no friends.

Answer 1

I do it all the time, when I travel, I like to check out all the good restaurants. It makes no never mind to me if I'm eating alone or with my boyfriend. His job doesn't allow him to travel as often as I do so I'm used to it.

Answer 2

I do all the time. I rarely give it a second thought. I certainly am not going to care if a bunch of strangers think that I have no friends. If a person would jump to such a conclusion without knowing more about me or my situations, then the hell with them--their opinion matters not. When on the road, I certainly will have dinner alone in a formal restaurant. I will not pass up a chance have an excellent meal at a place where I may never have a chance to eat again.

However, sometimes it can feel a bit strange. I once dined at a hopping brew pub in DC. I was seated in the middle of the joint. Felt a bit strange. But, after 4 pints of stout I became oblivious to the staring eyes. Who knows, perhaps the women looking at me were really wanting to join me, but couldn't muster up their courage to do so. :p (I joke.)

If you feel awkward, you can always request being seated in a relatively inconspicuous spot.

Answer 3

I always go to restaurant alone, I mean real good restaurants, I just had Italian last night and the appetizer, duckliver paste serves with blueberry onion sauce & thin toasts, sauteed white wine clam with basil on spaghetti, and tiramisu was great! I sometime go to sushi restaurant and spend US$100 or more to comfort myself after a tough working day. I can go to have buffet alone in Five Stars Hotel. Sometimes when I eat alone in the restaurants, I get chances to have good conversations with the wait-staff or the chef, I even can get some nice recipes.

I totally do not think it is sad and I see it as a good chance to enjoy real food and do not need talk to the person who is with me when I just want to concentrate on my food.

I enjoy eating, no matter it is me alone or I'm with my special one or a group of friends or in a big party or with clients that in various identities.

I traveled alone to a lot of places for vacations and work and I went to restaurants alone too, never went to McDonarld's in Bangkok, Shanghai, Paris, Hawaii, Singapore, Oslo, Amsterdam, Vancouver, Seattle.....

But I did try KFC or McDonald's in Tokyo, Guangzhou and London.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I eat lunch at restaurants alone sometimes, I see no problem or sadness in it. And often when I am away on business I eat dinner alone, don't worry about what other people think, you should be confident enough in yourself. If you can't spend time with yourself, than why would others want to.

Answer 6

I eat alone often now - after three decades of the alternative and it is just fine. There was a time - three decades - when it was constant babble., Now I can occasionally read the freakin' paper in peace. So don't knock it and as far as what other people think...I sometimes reply to that inevitable, "How many?"query with "I'm alone. Isn't that sad.?I haven't any friends but I've got this newspaper.Okay?" Okay?
I'm thinking of changing that avatar to Misanthrope.

Answer 7

I would in certain situations. I think it is all down to self confidence. I would (and have) eaten in cafe / fast food restaurants alone. Also once in a sit down pizza restaurant with a lunchtime buffet.
I would eat alone in a hotel restaurant as people would assume that you are there alone on business.
Don't think I would choose to go eat alone in a proper restaurant though.

Answer 8

I often eat alone in restaurants. There's no rule that says one can't eat alone? "Table for one" is just that, table for one person. I don't see any reason why it should sound sad at all?

Answer 9

I don't think anything about seeing people eating alone at restaurants but I avoid doing it myself.

Answer 10

I feel self-conscious eating alone so I avoid it...unless I have something to read while I'm eating to keep my eyes down! Actually, I don't judge others by it at all. A person might have tons of friends but be in a few situations in life where he or she have to grab a meal alone, so eating alone doesn't mean a person is friendless! But for me, I don't like it.

Answer 11

Heck yeah! I've eaten at plenty of resturants--even fancy ones alone! I love being able to sit down--without my husband and kids--and eat a wonderful meal that I haven't prepared alone. If I see a person eating alone when I'm with my family--I think good for them--they aren't too ashamed to eat good food merely because no one wants to go with them. If the food is good go, eat, and enjoy. There are too many things to do in life--you shouldn't worry about going alone! Have a great dinner for one!