Why eating out alone can be the best part of a trip
Dinner on your own means choosing exactly what you want, when you want it, at your own pace. You can linger over every course, read between them, chat to the staff or simply watch the room. On a trip, it is also a way to get to know a place through its food.
It has been popular for years. In July 2015, OpenTable said single-cover reservations had more than doubled in two years, and 87% of people in a survey it ran said they would have no problem dining out alone. In 2022, delicious. magazine cited an OpenTable report of a rise of more than 160% in solo reservations between 2014 and 2018.
Dinner on your own means choosing exactly what you want, when you want it, at your own pace.
From this guide
Things to consider
Eating well on your own comes down to a few choices. These are the ones that shape a meal for one, with options for each depending on your mood.
The table for one menu: choose by mood
Start with how you feel. After a long walk you might want a hearty plate by the fire; on a city break, a counter seat with the chefs at work; on a quiet night, dinner without leaving the building. Picking the kind of meal first makes the restaurant easy to choose.
| If you are in the mood for | Try | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Watching the cooking | A counter, kitchen bar or open-kitchen seat | Ask for one of these seats when you book |
| A bit of everything | Small plates | Easier to order for one than sharing menus built for groups |
| Something easy after a day out | A pub with rooms | Dinner is downstairs, with no journey home |
| An occasion | A hotel dining room or a tasting menu | Book ahead and mention the table you would like |
| A quiet night in | Room service, or a stay with a kitchen | Check room service hours before you arrive |
| A bit of life around you | A busy bar with food, or a market hall | Good for an early, unplanned dinner |
Where to sit
Where you sit changes the whole meal. A counter or open-kitchen seat gives you something to watch and makes it easy to chat to the chefs if you want to; a window table gives you the street; a corner table gives you the room. delicious. magazine suggests booking a counter or open-kitchen seat when you are dining solo. Think about whether you want to be part of the buzz or have a quieter view of it.
- If you wantsomething to watchYou may preferA counter or open-kitchen seat.
- If you wantto people-watchYou may preferA window table or a seat at the bar.
- If you wanta quieter mealYou may preferA corner table, or an earlier sitting.
- If you wantto read over dinnerYou may preferA table near a lamp, or a lounge where the bar serves food.
What to order
Menus built around sharing can be tricky for one, while small plates let you try several things without over-ordering. Tasting menus suit an occasion, and a pub menu often has plenty of single plates. If a dish is designed for two, it is worth asking whether the kitchen can do a smaller portion.
- If you wantvarietyYou may preferSmall plates: two or three to start, then more if you are still hungry.
- If you wantan occasionYou may preferA tasting menu, booked ahead.
- If you wantsomething simpleYou may preferA pub classic or the special of the day.
- If you wanta dish meant for sharingYou may preferAsk whether the kitchen can make a portion for one.
Pubs with rooms and hotel dining rooms
Staying somewhere with a restaurant takes the planning out of the evening. A pub with rooms puts dinner and a bit of life downstairs, and you can go straight up afterwards; a hotel dining room tends to be calmer, often with room service if you change your mind. Both are especially handy in villages and small towns, where there may be only one or two places to eat.
- If you wanta lively eveningYou may preferA pub with rooms and a busy bar.
- If you wanta calmer eveningYou may preferA hotel dining room, or a restaurant with rooms.
- If you wantflexibilityYou may preferA stay with room service, for nights you would rather stay in.
What to ask when you book
Most restaurants will take a booking for one, and a short note with the booking can get you the seat you want. If an online system will not offer one cover, try calling. It is also worth thinking about timing, because an early or late sitting can mean a calmer room.
- A counter or bar seatIf that is what you would like.
- A window tableOr a quieter corner.
- An early or late sittingFor a calmer room.
- Single portionsIf the menu leans towards sharing.
- Kitchen hoursEspecially on Sundays and in small places.
- Room service hoursIf you are staying, for nights in.
Evenings out
If dinner turns into a drink somewhere new, a few simple habits keep the evening easy: know how you are getting back, keep your phone charged and check the time of the last bus or train on the National Rail journey planner. Many pubs and bars take part in Ask for Angela, a free scheme where asking staff for “Angela” gets you discreet support without having to explain. Only participating venues take part. Think about whether you want to stay close to your bed or explore a little further.
- If you wantto stay closeYou may preferA bar in your hotel, or one a short walk away along lit streets.
- If you wantto exploreYou may preferA taxi booked for the return, with the details shared with someone you trust, as the Suzy Lamplugh Trust suggests.
What to look for in a restaurant for one
These details make a restaurant easier to enjoy on your own. Most show up on the menu, the website or in a quick call.
- A counter, kitchen bar or open kitchenSomething to watch, and easy to book for one.
- Small plates or single portionsSo you can order for one without waste.
- Online booking for oneOr a phone number that is answered.
- Somewhere to sit before or afterA bar or lounge if you would like a drink.
- Staff who chat with dinersdelicious. suggests looking for places where front-of-house staff engage with solo diners.
- Walking distance from your staySo the evening can end whenever you like.
Tips for a table for one
- Book the seat, not just the tableMention the counter, a window or a quiet corner when you book.
- Take something to readOr leave it behind. Watching the room is part of the fun.
- Go early or lateCalmer rooms, and sometimes more choice of seats.
- Order in roundsWith small plates, start with two and add more.
- Eat where you sleep now and thenA pub with rooms or a hotel dining room makes for an easy night.
- Plan the way backEspecially in villages, where taxis may need booking.
Our recommended stays where dinner is downstairs
These are pubs with rooms, inns and hotels with a restaurant on site, in no particular order, from our list of independent stays in England and Wales. Each has food in the building, so a good dinner needs no planning.
Some links earn us a small commission. It never changes which stays we pick or what you pay.
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On our list£££Mid-rangeThe Old Vine
Winchester, Hampshire- An 18th-century inn opposite Winchester Cathedral, with an oak-beamed bar, restaurant and room service
- About ten minutes’ walk from Winchester station
Trade-off: breakfast is served from 8 to 9.30am, so it suits a later start less.
See the stayPrices vary by date -
On our list£££Mid-rangeThe Culpeper
London, Greater London- Five rooms above a Spitalfields pub with a first-floor restaurant
- About five minutes on foot from Aldgate East
Trade-off: breakfast is served at a sister property three minutes away, and the rooftop is closed until spring 2027.
See the stayPrices vary by date -
On our list£££BudgetThe Glengower
Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire- A sea-view pub with rooms on the promenade, with dinner in the bar and single rooms
- About ten minutes’ walk from Aberystwyth station
Trade-off: expect some noise from the bar.
See the stayPrices vary by date -
On our list£££Mid-rangeThe White Swan Inn
Pickering, North Yorkshire- A 16th-century coaching inn with a bar, restaurant, snug and residents’ lounge
- The steam railway is a few minutes’ walk away
See the stayPrices vary by date -
On our list£££Treat yourselfCastle Cottage Inn
Harlech, Merionethshire- A restaurant with rooms beside Harlech Castle, with sea views
- About five minutes’ walk from the station
Trade-off: there are no single rooms, so you pay for a double.
See the stayPrices vary by date -
On our list£££Mid-rangeArtist Residence Bristol
Bristol- A Georgian townhouse hotel with a restaurant, a bar and events, plus room service from breakfast to bedtime
- The smallest rooms, the Broom Cupboard and the Shoebox, suit one
See the stayPrices vary by date
A busy pub dining room makes for a lively evening, but rooms above the bar can hear it. If you sleep lightly, ask for a room away from the bar.
How we chose these
Every stay in this guide comes from our list, and a person checks each one before it is marked Reviewed. For this guide we chose stays with a restaurant or pub dining room on site. How comfortable a table for one feels is part of what a person checks before a stay is marked Reviewed.
Each stay in our guides carries one of three badges, so you can see how far our checks have got:
- Hand-Picked: A stay we have personally vetted, or spoken to directly.
- Reviewed: A stay a person on our team has checked against all four criteria and approved.
- On our list: A stay we have researched and scored, still waiting to be checked by a person.
Not for you if…
You are planning one special dinner rather than everyday meals. Our guide to solo birthday trips covers stays that make an occasion of it.
Questions people ask
Is it normal to eat out alone?
Yes. In a 2015 OpenTable survey, 87% of people said they would have no problem dining out alone, and OpenTable reported that single-cover reservations had more than doubled in the two years before.
Can I book a table for one?
Most restaurants take bookings for one, online or by phone. If the online system does not offer one cover, call and ask, and mention the seat you would like.
Where is the best place to sit when dining alone?
Wherever suits your mood. A counter or open-kitchen seat gives you something to watch, a window table gives you the street, and a corner table is calmer.
What should I order when eating alone?
Small plates are easy for one, since you can order a few and add more. If a dish is for sharing, ask whether the kitchen can make a portion for one.
What is solo dining?
Simply eating out on your own, whether that is a quick lunch, a counter seat at dinner or a tasting menu.
Can I ask a pub or bar for help?
Yes. Many venues take part in Ask for Angela: asking for “Angela” tells staff you would like discreet support, and they take their lead from you. Only participating venues take part.
Sources and useful links
We link to the organisations that publish the advice and facts on this page. Each link was last checked on 17 October 2026. Details can change, so check the source before you travel.
