Originally Posted by MSPeconomist

I'd be tempted to book for two and then say that my friend/colleague was forced to cancel at the last minute but say that I didn't want to cancel the entire reservation at the last minute as it would not have been courteous to the restaurant.

However, some systems such as AmEx Fine Dining will charge for the people who no show at your table, so check the T&C carefully if a credit card or deposit is involved.

A *good* hotel concierge with connections to the restaurants might be able to help.

This thread has reminded me of the time a while ago when I booked a table for one in a rather nice restaurant in Georgetown (Washington DC). I showed up on time, properly dressed, and of course with my credit card, ready for a nice meal with wine. The restaurant refused to seat me alone in their regular dining room and instead made me take a table in their much less formal bar area, where a bunch of drunks (that I assume were overentitled young adult offspring from the embassy community) harassed me, including having the waiter deliver a message to me, complete with four letter expletives that could easily been interpreted as a personal threat. At that point, I left as soon as possible, insisting that the restaurant call a taxi for me immediately and escort me to the vehicle.