do you ever go to restaurants by yourself?

[green papaya]

do you ever go out all by yourself and go to a nice restaurant and when they say how many? you tell them you would like a table for one?

I often dine out alone and try lots of different restaurants, but it does feel kind of weird if everybody else is with their family or couples and your all alone

you could pretend your a food critique and bring a note book and camera lol

 

[Marla]

I read in an etiquette book that when dining alone it's perfectly acceptable to bring a book along to read while you're waiting for your food.

 

[Tomasso]

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When dining alone I'll choose a restaurant that serves their menu at the bar.

 

[Talbot]

When travelling I pretty much do room service unless being entertained.

I don't enjoy the solo restaurant experience I'm afraid. Plonk me in a cafe with a good book and I'm happy.[huh]

 

[Yeps]

Not often, but I do. I did it a lot in Italy. When I do go, I definitely take pictures for my blog. I should start bringing a notebook for more specific things.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I don't go to expensive restaurants alone -- in fact, I don't go to expensive restaurants at all, since there's no meal on earth I'd be willing to pay more than $10 for.

I go to cheap restaurants alone all the time, with a newspaper in hand. I prefer to sit at counters, I read the paper, and nobody gives me any guff about putting A-1 sauce on my eggs. And the bill is just a dite over $5.

 

[Paisley]

I either go alone or with my dog in the passenger seat.

On a similar note, my cousin's wife once asked me if I went dancing with a group of friends. I told her that at my age (late 30s at the time), if I waited for a group of friends to go somewhere, I'd never leave the house.

 

[Miss sofia]

I do quite often, actually i had lunch alone in a restuarant today and i just read my book.

 

[Pompidou]

I never plan on it, but sometimes the 2nd party doesn't arrive for whatever reason, or has to leave unexpectedly after only taking a bite - it's happened. If so, I don't have qualms about eating alone. If I'm paying 100.00 for the two of us, and it ends up just me, I'm going to eat every penny's worth. Sometimes I'll plan on going to a cafe alone - but never a fancy restaurant that doesn't have a bar. I'll go to a bar alone - especially my bar, because I know everyone anyway.

 

[dnjan]

One problem with dining at a nice restaurant while alone is that the wine list is suddenly shrunk from hundreds of bottles to a very few wines by the glass.
So when I go someplace by myself, it is a place where I am more likely to order a beer.

 

[Undertow]

I don't go to expensive restaurants alone -- in fact, I don't go to expensive restaurants at all, since there's no meal on earth I'd be willing to pay more than $10 for.

I go to cheap restaurants alone all the time, with a newspaper in hand. I prefer to sit at counters, I read the paper, and nobody gives me any guff about putting A-1 sauce on my eggs. And the bill is just a dite over $5.

I wish there were spots like this throughout Des Moines. Unfortunately, life here is so peculiarly dismal, people are only interested in going out if it's over $20. Anything less seems to offend Des Moines residents.

I do go out by myself, but like Lizzie, if it's going to cost over $10, it had better be something I'm specifically craving. Otherwise, I go to the store, buy the ingredients and make it myself. [huh]

I don't like sitting at the bar, as Tomasso stated, but it's only because the people sitting next to me are usually obnoxious and animated. Thus, I typically request a booth in some dark corner and I bring a book or newspaper.

 

[Spitfire]

I do quite often actually - because I travel a lot with my job.
I do not really like eating alone - and I often brings a book.
I find it rather boring to dine alone and I am often quite snappy about it.
Grabs something easy and fast - or order roomservice.
I don't feel strange eating alone - just bored.
But my wife tells me, it's harder or more strange to be a woman dining alone - sometimes people - menespecially - in the restaurant gets the wrong impression.

 

[Mr Vim]

I like the new look of the lounge...

And yes, I do dine alone, quite often actually. I often receive odd looks from folks, but that's to be expected as I'm dressed in vintage attire.

 

[Tango Yankee]

I often eat lunch alone. I'm a regional field tech, so generally I'll stop somewhere to eat between campuses. Sometimes it's dinner alone, if I'm working late. I'd rather have company, but I'm comfortable with it being by myself. The downside is that a single person may be seated in a less than desirable location.

One thing I find is that since I now need reading glasses when in low light, and since I rarely carry reading glasses, I don't bring a book or magazine with me very often. Instead I use my work phone to get caught up with the news on CNN.com, or something along those lines. The Lounge isn't really a good site to visit from a smart phone, alas.

Regards,
Tom

 

[Mav]

I travel for a living, so yes, but it's always cheap diners or a bar. Never been terribly impressed by expensive restaurants.

 

[KenDale]

I used to do it occasionally but find that I rarely do now that I am no longer a youngster. If I am out of town, I feel much more comfortable doing so because it is highly unlikely that I will see someone that I know.

 

[senoreme]

Don't like to eat alone

I may eat alone during the lunch hour while catching up on FOX News, on the tube at the local eatery. But I find it can be much more enjoyable when eating out with someone else if the conversation is good. A few cocktails also help.

 

[Big_e]

Like LizzieMaine, I like to sit at the counter with a book. I get plenty of the old-timers and regulars starting up a conversation readily enough so it's hard to get a meal by myself most days.
Ernest

 

[Land-O-LakesGal]

I used to do a lot of stuff by myself when I was single eat out go to a movie, go out dancing or to see a band, even vacation. I remember people thinking it was weird that I did so much by myself but as Paisley said if I had waited for my friends I would have sat at home all the time. Now I am married with kids.....I miss those parts of my single days, eating alone is not so bad.

 

[HepKitty]

it's harder or more strange to be a woman dining alone - sometimes people - men especially - in the restaurant gets the wrong impression.

Do they ever! Sorry to the gentlemen here, I doubt this applies to you

I hate going to restaurants alone, period. Doesn't matter how nice or how cheap it is, I can't stand it. I don't always have books with me but I'll play silly games on my phone or text friends if need be. The stares and whispered comments are not my idea of fun. Not to say that I won't or haven't ever, because like Paisley and Land o Lakes Gal said, I'd sit at home waiting forever if friends were to go. It's just that I'd rather avoid putting myself up in front of families and groups of friends for potential audible ridicule. I don't mind going to movies so much alone, because you're supposed to just sit there and watch the movie in the dark anyway. But showing up at restaurants alone is a major source of discomfort for me.