On a couple of recent travels I have had wonderful meals sitting at the bar of nice restaurants. A few weeks ago I had a great meal at B&B at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Great bartenter who knew the menu well and matched me up with some very good wines. Last year did the same at BLT at the Ritz in San Juan. That night I ended up talking to a couple of other diners who were doing the same. I usually try to break away for a solo meal from my fellow travellers, especially with friends in Las Vegas. The thing I like about eating at the bar is that I have much better control over the pacing of the menu by ordering each course separately or letting the bartender know that I am not in a hurry and want time in between.