Do you eat at restaurants alone?

[MrsM19]

Yes. Most Saturdays go to my trusted cheap sushi bar for lunch. Many others do the same, no biggie.

Never gone for dinner alone though, I'd feel weird siting there on my lonesome while others socialise.

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Yes. Of course. What an odd thread title?!

 

[SqualorVictoria]

There are lots of people who wouldn't dream of it though (and who wouldn't go to the cinema alone) so I think it's a fair question

 

[Begborrowsteal]

I feel really self conscious eating alone! Id always avoid it

 

[under the ivy]

Yes. Of course. What an odd thread title?!

It isn’t really, many people don’t have the confidence to do it! A lot of people worry about public perception which this thread is highlighting that people don’t really care!

 

[LittleMy]

I wouldn’t. I’d feel strange sitting down to a meal in a restaurant or having a drink in a pub on my own - I feel these are social settings and sitting alone in a bar can draw unwanted attention in my experience. I have absolutely no qualms about going to the cinema alone however. You’re just sitting in silence watching the movie anyway. It’s different for everyone - not everyone is as comfortable and outgoing with it as others.

 

[BettyCrockerr]

I wouldn’t. I’d feel strange sitting down to a meal in a restaurant or having a drink in a pub on my own - I feel these are social settings and sitting alone in a bar can draw unwanted attention in my experience. I have absolutely no qualms about going to the cinema alone however. You’re just sitting in silence watching the movie anyway. It’s different for everyone - not everyone is as comfortable and outgoing with it as others.

So, if you were a single person or someone away from home (working, for example) you’d never go out for a bite to eat or a drink simply because you were alone?

gosh, that’s so sad

 

[LittleMy]

So, if you were a single person or someone away from home (working, for example) you’d never go out for a bite to eat or a drink simply because you were alone?

gosh, that’s so sad

Probably not. I’m socially awkward anyway so I’d be used to it. I prefer to do those thing with my husband or friends.

ETA: Doesn’t bother me when most places do takeaway and shops sell alcohol anyway. I’m not missing out.

 

[Phoenix Lazarus]

I have done - and not just somewhere like MacDonalds, where most people would probably be more at ease doing so because of the size of the place and resulting anonymity. I've been to the cinema alone, too. I had no problem with doing either. I get that some people wouldn't be at ease doing so though.

 

[Tatooine_legend1]

If it's a relatively empty restaurant then sure, but I wouldn't eat alone in a busy restaurant. I like to sit in relative peace, stick my earphones in and eat when alone, rather than have a load of people talking and making noise around me. I haven't done it much though. I can count on one hand the times I have.

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Probably not. I’m socially awkward anyway so I’d be used to it. I prefer to do those thing with my husband or friends.

ETA: Doesn’t bother me when most places do takeaway and shops sell alcohol anyway. I’m not missing out.

But you are missing out. You are missing on the experience of going out for a nice meal - the atmosphere & environment in the restaurant, the service, the interaction with staff etc it’s not the same sitting alone in your house eating out of Tupperware.

can I ask, what is it that you don’t like about eating out alone?

 

[LittleMy]

I do go to restaurants and bars, just not alone.

I don’t feel that I’m missing out just because I don’t go by myself. I’d probably spend most of the time feeling self-conscious and looking at my phone anyway when I could be more comfortable at home, listening to music I like or watching TV. At least with someone there with me that I know well, I can chat and blend in.

 

[judgejohndeed]

Cafes and stuff yeah, but not a full on meal

 

[Misssj80]

I go to cafés, coffee shops, cinema on my own but never, for some unknown reason, been out for an evening meal on my own. It's not that I'm scared to or worry what others think, I don't care, I've just never got dressed up and took myself out for dinner at a restaurant. I think I'm going to though

 

[Apple In My Pie]

I love it, I love the opportunity to sit and think to myself and enjoy the atmosphere. I used to do it a lot when I was at university - study and eat, whereas if I was with people I’d end up chatting and either not eat, or not study. This was in a cafe though, not a full on restaurant. I loved the opportunity to people watch. I did get a few people talk to me, ask me what i was doing which was mildly annoying but that was after I became a ‘regular’ in there and recognised all the equally regular elderly peeps hahah, never once did I get the vibe that people were thinking ‘omg what a saddo’ lol

Besides, all the other people around me are boring, would I really give a tit if I walked in and someone was eating alone? No. You ain’t that special! that’s what I used to say to myself when I first started doing it.

I think people think sitting and eating alone is sad. I see it as a mark of self confidence.

 

[Pixipoppy]

More fast food type places and coffee shops yes, IKEA yes, and airports. Otherwise no - but I really wish I was more confident to do it!

 

[LittleMy]

I love it, I love the opportunity to sit and think to myself and enjoy the atmosphere. I used to do it a lot when I was at university - study and eat, whereas if I was with people I’d end up chatting and either not eat, or not study. This was in a cafe though, not a full on restaurant. I loved the opportunity to people watch. I did get a few people talk to me, ask me what i was doing which was mildly annoying but that was after I became a ‘regular’ in there and recognised all the equally regular elderly peeps hahah, never once did I get the vibe that people were thinking ‘omg what a saddo’ lol

Besides, all the other people around me are boring, would I really give a tit if I walked in and someone was eating alone? No. You ain’t that special! that’s what I used to say to myself when I first started doing it.

I think people think sitting and eating alone is sad. I see it as a mark of self confidence.

I don’t see it as sad at all. More power to you, some people just aren’t as confident or prefer their own space. I have a friend who has a thing about eating in front of people and it takes a lot for her to go out to these kinds of places where she’s expected to.

 

[OutrageouslyScarlet]

I quite like eating alone, it’s peaceful and you get to really enjoy your food, that being said I don’t think anyone is missing out by not doing it, socialising is one of the best parts of eating out, we all have different levels of comfort and some things are worth going out your comfort zone for, others aren’t.

 

[SqualorVictoria]

Yeah everything is subjective so it's not really a case of missing out. Some will enjoy it, some won't. Same as everything else

 

[dancingqueen5678]

Yea I would. I do pretty much everything alone as I prefer my own company and the friends I do have live far away. Eating, cinema, nights away, day trips, museums. I do what I want really. I usually go when it’s quiet though cause I hate busy places.
I don’t really go to restaurants alone that much but that’s just cause I love cooking.