burnessie
New to solo travel and worried about eating alone when travelling? This is the blog for you. You’ll be happily dining solo in no time!
One of the factors of solo travel people seem most concerned about when they are about to embark on their first solo trip is eating alone when travelling. I get it, it’s unusual to go to a restaurant and eat alone. Dining out is a social experience and if you’ve never done it by yourself before it can be pretty daunting.
It’s easy to assume people will look at you like you’re a freak and wonder why you’re alone (“will they think I’ve been stood up?!”) but I promise you, everyone is far too absorbed in their own plate of pasta to give it much of a thought. After you’ve done it a couple of times, you won’t care. You may even start to enjoy it.
Eating Alone When Travelling Tips
1) Practise at Home
If you’re feeling particularly anxious about dining alone, practise at home before embarking on your solo trip. I call them solo date days – take yourself out for a big walk, maybe to an exhibition and to a restaurant you’ve wanted to try for ages for lunch. Take a book, order a glass of champagne.
I promise you no one is looking at you weird – if anything, they’re thinking how mysterious this glamorous stranger is!
2) Get Excited About Where To Eat In Advance
Taking an active interest in the local food is a huge part of experiencing a new place and planning where you want to eat in a new city is part of the fun of travelling.
Researching restaurants, cafes and street food you’re keen to try also lends itself well to mastering the art of eating alone when travelling. If you’re excited about that little gelateria you’ve read about or the banging tacos you’ve seen on Instagram, the anticipation of finally getting to try it yourself should help to settle the nerves of going there by yourself. The excitement of the food becomes bigger than the fear of solo dining.
3) Take a Book With You
Hopefully your desire to try that burger you read about has gotten you to the restaurant. How do you get through the meal without feeling awkward and at a loss without someone to speak to the whole time? I always take a book with me to restaurants when travelling solo; it’s a good chance to get stuck into some new pages whilst taking my time over some food and a glass of wine.
Reading also makes me eat slower and really enjoy a meal, rather than rushing through it to get back out into the hustle and bustle of exploring. It’s good to pause. You’re away to relax, after all!
4) Eating Alone Doesn’t Have To Mean Being Lonely
I’ve talked before about having no shame in keeping in contact with friends whilst I’m away. We live in a modern world connected by the internet, and whilst switching off can be fantastic and great for the soul, I have friends I speak to very regularly both when I’m at home and whilst I’m away.
It’s important to me to keep a level of connectivity and so much of our lives is lived out online that it isn’t weird to me to be what’s apping the GC (group chat, not Gemma Collins) whilst I’m on holiday, and mealtimes are a good time to catch up. It’s not for everyone but if it’s going to ease your anxiety about eating solo, why not? There aren’t any rules. You do you.
5) Check Out Food Markets and Street Food
One of the best things about European cities are their amazing food markets. The chance to try lots of different small plates and local eats in one location? A quintessential part of any European trip, and a particularly great thing to do when you’re eating alone when travelling.
It’s easier to find a spot to park up for one person, and the buzzy atmosphere of the food markets is fantastic for people watching. The same goes for street food spots further afield in the likes of Asia and Mexico. You are never the only solo diner in this situation either, which is great if you’re nervous.
6) Sit At The Bar
One big advantage of eating alone when travelling is it’s much easier for a busy restaurant to squeeze a solo diner into a spot at the bar for dinner.
I love dining at the bar; you often get chatting to the bartender or whoever is sat next to you, which can be a nice change on a solo trip – especially if you’re a few days into solo dining. If given the option I would always choose a bar seat over a table for one, unless I’m feeling insular and want to get stuck into my book.
7) Sit Outside
Weather permitting, I love to sit outside when dining solo – the people watching opportunities are always entertaining. It forces me to stop and take everything in a bit more, and I can get a feel for the place by watching the world go by; something I would miss out on were I dining in a group or with a friend.
8) Opt for Tapas or Cicchetti
Destinations like Venice, Madrid and Seville are perfect for solo dining because cicchetti and tapas are ideal for eating alone when travelling. If you’re nervous about a whole meal by yourself, going somewhere that specializes in small bites or small plates is a great way to ease yourself into it.
Sure, you’re still dining solo but the casual nature of tapas vibes is great. If you’re feeling the place you can stay grazing for hours, and if you’re not, you can move onto the next spot!
9) Don’t feel bad if you want a night in
After you’ve dined solo a couple of times you’ll be totally used to it and it won’t phase you anymore. But if you don’t fancy tackling a restaurant by yourself every night you’re away, you don’t have to. The beauty of solo travel is the freedom to do what you want.
Ordering room service or getting a picnic of bread, cheese and meats from the local supermarket to eat in your Air BnB is a highly underrated thing to do on holiday. Staying in can be just as good as going out sometimes.
Updated November 2024.
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