There was a some buzz a while back about a new restaurant trend catering to the increasingly mobile workforce... restaurants would set up a communal dining table for solo diners to eat together and meet new people. Haven't heard much about this lately, but would love to find some restaurants that do this in DC, NY, MIA, DFW, ORD, and any other areas. I'm sick of eating the same old room service food in front of the TV just because I don't want to be stared at for eating alone in a restaurant. Anyone know of some places like this?

I've eaten at two such places around San Francisco. Cafe Monk was recently retooled and now includes a large community table in the middle of the restaurant, it is on 4th street, a few blocks from the convention center. The food is ok but overpriced, standard california fare.

The other restaurant I highly recommend, Bistro Jeanty in Yountsville (Napa Valley) it is a casual french place and very good. They have a community table for walk-ins.

I've eaten by myself at the community tables in both places and while ok, I've found I much prefer to eat at the bar (or alone at a table) when by myself.

I did have a good time at Bistro Jeanty's table though since most of the people were tourists and were interested in talking about things to do in the area.

carlhaynes is right! Bistro Jeanty is a great place to eat if you're solo.. The last time I was there I defied all logic of being in Napa Valley and ordered a half bottle of the 1989 St. Emilion. Ha! http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/smile.gif

Jeff http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/cool.gif

I agree with Carlhaynes, I also prefer to eat at the bar or a table when eating alone (often with a book or magazine). I rarely know whether I will pass that way again and hate to miss a great restaurant for lack of a dinner companion.

I have also found that you can get into many fine restaurants solo, and at only a moments notice if you eat at the bar. Besides, I hate having the food smell in my room for the remainder of the night and really hate waiting for room service to come and remove the tray.

I think we'd all agree that eating in the room is generally not the greatest option... but there's got to be other folks out there who would prefer the experience of meeting new people in a group setting when dining out in a new town rather than huddling at the bar, chatting up the bartender.

Still wondering if anyone out there knows of any places like this in the DC, NY, Chicago, Miami, Boston, DFW or other areas...

One of most famous old restaurants in L.A. is The Pantry, downtown. As long as I've been patronizing it (23+ years), they have had a communal table that seats about ten.

http://www.dailydiner.com/location.cfm/456/693

The New York Times ran an article about this very subject, providing a list of a number of restaurants which provided seating for one or communal seating. While I didn’t keep the article, but used it during my trip to NY, you might want to look it up. I was in NY during the week of June 10-14, 2001 when the article was published.

In Boston, Durgin Park restaurant has a long community table for single diners.

Durgin Park is one of Boston's oldest restaurants, and it's famed (or infamous) for its waitresses who are known to bark at customers (but all in good fun). The food is 60s-style menu -- steaks and fish mostly -- that is plentiful but not particularly inspired. Durgin Park in in the Quincy Market complex in downtown Boston.

For some reason Ruth's Chris rings a bell for offering this. Can anyone confirm?