Restaurants with the "party of one"
 

I think restaurants need to get a grip, and start learning how to deal with parties of one.
I often eat out alone, and I know other people do as well. Waiters/hosts don't seem to be well-equipped to deal with this phenomenon.

I can think of a few reasons people eat out alone:
1) you like good food
2) you are hungry

Thus, a few things are different when eating by yourself than when eating out with others (and having company)

Service speed: Sitting alone and waiting for 10 minutes before you are approached is unacceptable.

Greetings: I can't think of the best way to greet someone, but I have been sitting for quite a while before until I motioned a waitress over. She thought I was waiting for someone else. It also is awkward when someone has to confirm "one" multiple times (after the question "how many"?).

Seating order: I prefer to get seated in the order the customers arrived. I dislike it when I'm seated later, especially when the restaurant has plenty of space.

Attentiveness-if my back is facing the rest of the restaurant, it isn't as easy for me to catch someone's eye to get service. If you have 2 people, then one person is facing each direction and it isn't as difficult. So if waiters need to be more attentive for that reason, but also for the reason that I expect service. After all, why am I paying a tip? For horrible service? I'd rather get takeout.

Being Flyertalk, I'd note that reason 3) could be that you're in a city where you don't know a lot of people.

I agree though, some restaurants really struggle with people eating alone. For me the most annoying is when you get the bill and it's then impossible to actually pay. That's actually one of the things that annoys me the most when dining with other people as well, but it's worse when you're alone.

I eat out alone most of the time, and I rarely have a problem. However, it does happen once in every great while. Most of the time it manifests as the wait staff appearing bothered or simply going through the motions with me. I have no hesitation getting out of my chair to go hunt down the server or manager if necessary.

I dine alone from time to time, and I generally don't find it too awkward. Go to the right place, and it's possible that they will mistake you for a Michelin inspector.

Funnily enough I'll often take a small pocket notebook with when I eat out - not just on my own - and it's amazing the difference in service when wait staff see you making notes.

Likewise photographing food as it arrives.

I'm going to remember this for the next time im out traveling alone.

Being on the road 365 days means every meal alone (15 years now). I guess I've gotten accustomed to some of the awkwardness all around (patrons, restauranteurs, maitre d', hosts). That said, I unconsciously gravitate toward places that are set up for solo diners. The tradeoff is that these tend to be rather functional establishments, as opposed to those that aspire toward the highest standards. I wish it wasn't so.

Maybe because I don't travel international much, but I don't seem to encounter this much. Yeah there have been cases where it has taken a while to get someone to come over or get the check, but looking around I find that I am not the only one with that issue in the restaurant. If anything I tend to find I get better service because being by yourself you tend to make a better "connection" with the server.

I do eat out a fair bit on my tod (business travel, usually solo, and I refuse to confine myself to the hotel for eating) and usually don't have much trouble, but you have to adjust your expectations to your destination (I know I'm never going to get speedy service in Copenhagen, for example).

So I always take a book/kindle with me. You're never alone with something decent to read. And yes, you often do feel like something quicker, which does drive you to lower end places, but you can get some particularly interesting food in a less polished environment this way, which I rather enjoy.

See...? Memory problems aren't ALL bad. :D

I dine alone very frequently when traveling, and rarely have any issues. If it appears they are dragging their feet on seating me simply approaching the podium or directly addressing the issue always takes care of it.

The notebook thing is pretty good. I often check to see if the bar has a full menu and will sometimes just sit there if I'm not in the mood to sit around or need to get back to the hotel to do some work.

Otherwise, the solo thing hasn't been too bad. I observe that in places where I'm sitting alone waiting for staff to come by, the service is usually all-around a bit lax, not just for me because I'm by myself.

And yes, I do agree that dining solo is a good opportunity to build a rapport with the wait staff. I almost always ask for recommendations/favorites on the menu (food, beer, whatever), or ask "between this and this, what do you prefer." Usually gets good a good response, although I start to worry when they say they haven't really had anything on the menu for whatever reason (new, allergies, only like 1 thing, etc.).

For me, the biggest issue I've encountered is in the seating process. The "wouldn't you rather sit at the bar" even though half the place is empty, the sticking the solo diner at the worst table in the restaurant, etc. I've started to take note and never return to places that do that - even if I'm eating with someone else.

I've rarely experienced an issue once I actually get seated (the few places it has happened are also on my never visit again list).

I tend be the exact opposite. While there are times I might prefer to have a table to myself, I've found myself gravitating to bar seating when dining alone. It probably helps that many restaurants in the US are now nonsmoking so that doesn't interfere with dining.

Most restaurants serve at the bar off the regular menu instead of having a separate and less inviting bar menu, and some restaurants even have both bar and regular menus, which I've found occasionally to be a benefit. One of my favorite restaurants on the Outer Banks, Ocean Boulevard, does a bar menu that includes a roasted half chicken at $13 that is a slightly smaller portion (half of a smaller bird maybe?) than the roasted half chicken on the regular menu with different sides (and I actually prefer the bar sides)--plus, it's $9 cheaper than the regular menu.

I don't generally like TVs in restaurants when I'm accompanied, but dining alone, I prefer having something to distract me from my solo status. And while there's also the danger of getting a bad seatmate at the bar, I have had plenty of occasions where I got into a great conversation with someone sitting next to me or with the bartender, especially as you go up the food chain of restaurants. Lots of the bartenders in those establishments are experienced, have a life outside of drinking and partying, and are frequently pretty good sources of information about other good restaurants in the area or things I should see and experience outside of dining and drinking.

Perceptions about solo dining have changed over the years, too. When I was working in a job in the late 1970s that involved some travel, it was very unusual to dine alone. In 2014, it's still not the norm, but I don't believe that many restaurant personnel consider a diner eccentric for that reason. A server's reluctance to take a table with a solo diner because of the anticipation of a lower overall tip might explain some of the service issues discussed in this thread. Doesn't excuse them, but might explain them.

I like it when I walk in and the host/hostess greets me with "Oh. Just one?"

Funny and timely thread :)

I really noticed this effect on my latest Aus trip.. Several places "Is it just going to be you?" And often that correlates with a need to be very proactive about receiving service..

Found more so in business eating establishments which expect groups to be dining..

I often dine alone when traveling on business. In such situations I tend to sit at the restaurant's bar-- assuming a reasonable menu of food is offered there. Service is faster, as there's usually no waiting to sit and it's easier to flag the bartender's attention when I'm ready to order than it is to catch a waiter's attention. Sitting at the bar also offers opportunities to socialize, both with the bartender and with fellow customers.

One thing I do like about US restaurant culture is the bar with food. In Europe it's really not so common. With the exception of hotel bars, I can only think of two restaurants at the moment in London with a bar suitable for lone eating...

With really no tipping in Oz, why would the server care? Fewer people, less work, same pay....:confused:

That's slightly better than "Are you all alone?" and its translations into various languages).

I'm puzzled too, I find it easier to dine alone in Australia than in most places. Maybe it's just because I live here so I'm more comfortable with the setting than when I'm overseas.

Higher end places are always more awkward anywhere when alone, and I'm not one to be intimidated by snooty waiters or that sort of thing

Can't say that surprises me...:D

:D
TBH I sort of find them vaguely comical

The ones in Paris are the best.

They have it down to a fine art.:D

I had a French one in London who I swear had come straight from Central Casting. My dining companion spoke fluent French, I did not. When I asked a question about the menu he stared down his nose at me as though I'd just crawled out from under a rock and pretended as though he couldn't understand what I was asking about.

Me to friend in a slightly raised voice: You'd think they could at least hire employees who can speak English.

Waiter: Excuse me I can understand you.

Me: I know.

Good times.:D

I find by the time I'm on my 2nd glass of wine, I really don't care about the fact I am dining on my own or that the service is bad.

:p

The problem isn't the eating at the bar. It's the fact that usually that question comes with a tone of "don't waste my time seating/serving/taking care of just one person," instead of a "in case you are interested and didn't know, we do serve food at the bar as well." Because it should be my choice, not something imposed on me by someone who doesn't know how to do their job well.

What about a neutral "bar or table"? Said in the same tone as "for here or to go" at fast food places (where the cashier could care less)

That doesn't bother me.

I guess I haven't really encountered that problem since I generally get the question, "would you prefer the bar or a table?" I normally pick the bar, but I've never been refused on the few occasions I've said table. I usually ignore tone because there's such a subjective element to that--unless I continue to get that tone throughout the course of my evening at the restaurant.

agree, and service expectations should vary - it is not logical to expect "good" service in a "bad" restaurant .. and or "full service" in a "restaurant" (being used generically) that is not a full service restaurant

It's probably so obvious that it isn't worthy of mention, but "party of one" always strikes me as the ultimate oxymoron.

Totally agree with this especially now that smoking isn't allowed at the bar. I like the friendly service of the bar and find the bartenders to be very attentive to solo diners.

I have no objection to being seated at the bar. From the restaurant's point of view, if I sit at a table, they'll get only one cover for two seats, whereas they get maximum occupancy at the bar (or at communal tables). I respect that in busy establishments.

I tend to find it more uncomfortable. I hate the high seating and the lack of comfortable foot space at most bars, seating is too tight, and if I wanted to be seated next to someone I could just share a table. Plus I tend to find that unless the restaurant is dead, the bartenders tend to have too much to do to concentrate on serving food, and often aren't very knowledgeable about the menu.

I have, on the flip side, had some nice experiences eating at the bar. But that has always been during non-busy times with particularly interesting people sitting there.

I travel alone a lot so I'm often dining alone and I don't want a seat at the bar. I've found that if I'm reading a book when the server ambles by, they'll assume I'm solo and I'll get attention quickly.

I do hate the question of "anyone else joining you?". It does have a negative connotation to it.

I vastly prefer the higher seating at bars. I would rather eat at the bar even when I'm not alone in almost all cases.

Yeah high end places are the worst when it comes to awkwardness. Which is why my wallet thanks me when I try to find a cheap alternative thats just as good. Not always successful in that regard, but sometimes you'd be surprised.

I ate on my own two nights ago for the first time in a while. I deliberately selected the quietest part of the bar so I could read in peace and eat/drink at my own pace with little to no interruption. Unfortunately it filled quickly with the local society types so my peace was interrupted a little but the book certainly helps avoid that feeling of being on one's own.

I now substitute my iphone for the book in that situation. Greatest time killer there is

That's another problem with eating at the bar. There can be a lot of commotion, and you end up squeezed in. And it feels awkward sometimes when everyone else all around you is socializing over just drinks and you are trying to eat a meal.

Sometimes bars with small booths when you can find them are better.