Tips: how to eat out alone
Are you going to travel alone soon and already worrying about those lonely mealtimes? Or is that the very reason you don’t travel alone? What a shame! Dining solo isn’t sad, awkward or unpleasant. Trust us, with these tips from Liesbeth Rasker, you’ll be sitting at the table by yourself like royalty from now on.
Tip 1: Bring a book
“What most people find awkward about eating out alone is mainly seeing themselves sitting there by themselves, with nothing to do. I always bring a book, magazine or e-reader and my travel journal. That way, you always have something to do.”
Tip 2: Turn it around
“Ask yourself why you find it so terrible to eat alone. Do you think people feel sorry for you? Then remember that people are mainly focused on themselves; they probably haven’t even noticed you. Besides, it mostly says something about how you view people who dine alone. I actually think it’s great when someone sits down and knows how to entertain themselves. And that’s also the reaction I get from others. When I asked for a ‘table for one’ at Balthazar, a French bistro in New York, the maître said, ‘I love a woman who can enjoy herself’ and gave me a glass of champagne and a lovely little table!”
Tip 3: Eat at the bar
“It’s helpful for restaurants when you sit at the bar. That way, they can still seat two people at their tables, which simply brings in more money. Besides, there’s always something going on at the bar, so you’ll never get bored.”
Tip 4: Eat slowly
“One thing about dining alone is that you often eat faster. So order your starter first, eat it slowly, wait a little while and only then order your main course. Otherwise, you’ll be back outside within half an hour. You really don’t have to think: oh no, then I’ll occupy that table for too long. You’re paying for it, after all.”
Tip 5: Stay open
“I’ve had the nicest encounters when eating alone. It does make it easier for people to strike up a conversation. Once in Italy, the staff gave me all kinds of limoncello and invited me to sit at a sort of wedding dinner. In Brazil, I met a girl who I subsequently went out with. None of those things would ever have happened if I’d been with someone else.”
Are there any disadvantages?
“Actually, I can only think of one: you can only choose one dish. I really love shared dining, but that’s a bit difficult on your own. What I’ve done sometimes is simply order two dishes and ask if I can take the rest home.”
If anyone is a pro at solo travel, it’s Liesbeth. She travels all over the world, alone. Not because she doesn’t have friends, but simply because she enjoys it the most. She even wrote a book about it: ‘Solo Travel’.
