Am I the only sad twat who eats out alone?

[ReallyFuckingHopeThisWorksOut]

I've been doing it for years and I actually enjoy it. In fact I sometimes even choose to go alone rather than with someone because I just can't be bothered with company. Whilst in a relationship it's never bothered me, but at the minute I'm feeling a bit fragile because I'm single and very lonely in general... so I feel like everyone else looks at me and knows how I'm feeling!

I booked a table earlier and in fairness there was a language barrier so I had to tell him I wanted a table for just me, but he didn't seem to understand for ages! Most people don't bat an eyelid but very, very occasionally waiters have looked a bit "oh!" when I've walked in alone and asked for a menu "just for me".

I wouldn't dress up to the nines and go somewhere really fancy surrounded by couples or anything, it's usually standard pubs or cafes or somewhere I can sit in a corner after a long hike or shopping trip and just eat a hot meal and read a magazine or something in peace for half an hour.

I tell myself it's good that I'm independent and can do things without other people but I do sometimes think to myself, man just admit it... what a sad wanker I am.

So many people on here recommend it... in reality I don't know anyone else who does!

Yes I love to. Often on work trips and equally frequently on my own! I do not judge or care to be judged as a solo diner.

I sometimes go to the cinema and then to dinner alone. Selfishly I want to watch a nice film and choose a restaurant without having to think of what others might want to do.
Dh goes to the pub alone on occasion and I don’t think it’s any different.

I wish there was a food pub near gymnastics. I'd def go and have dinner there every week. Instead I'm sat in the coat area messaging you lot

I think breakfast on my own might be my favourite. When dc were both at nursey I'd sometimes book a day off work, take them in the get the bus to a nearby fancy high street and have a lovely breakfast of eggs Florentine or something.

I love it. Enjoy it. Who gives a f what anyone else thinks. Also you don't have to rush.. and you can enjoy every mouthful without having to talk and entertain someone. That's bliss.

I used to do it all the time when I worked abroad. I don't love it but I don't mind it. I actively prefer going to the cinema on my own. I remember a crowd of people I knew spotting me at a film and trying to insist I sat with them when I really wanted to just be alone and take in the film.

I love eat out alone regardless of where I am in the world at the time and don’t consider myself a sad prat. In fact my solo/lone holidays and everything else I do alone rather than stay at home and let life pass me by in the blink of an eye are a part of me that I’m really quietly proud of

I had lunch in a cafe on my own today. Then I read my book while drinking coffee. It was lovely! I wasn't the only person in there on my own, and it definitely didn't feel weird. I don't think I'd go to a posh restaurant on my own though.

I love company but I equally (moreso?) love doing things by myself - eating out, cinema, hill walking, travel. I'm already planning all the solo house/apartment swaps and inter-railing I am going to do in my 50s and 60s. My ideal would be to have a month mostly alone in a city like Berlin or Paris and be visited by a friend or lover for a couple of weekends to break it up.

I eat out alone if I fancy a meal and no one can come with or I'm at work and want a particular meal.
Phone and book and I'm set!

Hardly tragic 🙄 I don’t know anyone that does this regardless of what’s said on MN I find a lot of what’s said on MN doesn’t reflect real life, it’s unusual to eat out alone and most people would think you are a loner and it’s clear from what has been posted that waiters find it odd as well and aren’t use to it.

I will eat out alone sometimes.

A loner! Heaven forbid 🙄

I ate out on my own in London twice last week. Once at Dishoom, the other at Richoux on Piccadilly. I love it. It’s such a treat to have some me-time and enjoy a lovely dinner with nobody to please but myself.

I love going out by myself for breakfast, dinner lunch

I sit people watch or read my book

A perfect day is cinema by myself and dinner by myself

You say you enjoy it but it makes you a sad twat.

pick one

I love it on work trips as I can people watch with a lovely meal and glass of wine, all on expenses!

@MissMogwai you’ve made me so envious - this is what my job usually entails but I’ve had two maternity leaves with the pandemic in the middle (so no work travel) so it’s been about 3 years since I’ve expensed a lovely meal and a glass of wine solo 😁it’s almost enough to make me fling the two small children at DH and go back to work early just so I’ve got an excuse to do it!

it’s unusual to eat out alone and most people would think you are a loner and it’s clear from what has been posted that waiters find it odd as well and aren’t use to it.

I've never, ever in 20+years of doing it, had a negative reaction or a confused waiter, and I've seen plenty of other solo diners. I used to have a job which involved working a half day on every second Saturday and my favourite thing to do when it was quiet was to sit there and Google which restaurants and Matinee concert, talk or show I'd go to after work.

And yes it is tragic to think that the only possible reason a woman would eat out alone is that she'd been stood up and to care so much about whst complete strangers are probably not even thinking that you let it stop you from enjoying things.

It's my break from cooking, washing up, cleaning and feels like I am being looked after. So I see it as self-care. I don't spend much money on myself at all so it evens out.

Having a teenager especially when they are in the middle of exam stress - is stressful in itself, so it is important to me to disappear for a couple of hours and not have to cook when I get back.

I sometimes go to the same place, waiter and waitress are single parents so they know me. Throughout various lockdowns I missed it and when restaurants opened again I was very glad to see them.

I do the table for one thing as well if it is somewhere different. A couple of times I have been shown to a table near the toilets but since it was lunch time and not wildly busy I've just said in a friendly way 'how about this one'. I never book as I don't like to have everything structured - got too much of that in the pandemic.

You'd think someone is a 'loner' after seeing them alone on one occasion? Not that there's anything wrong with keeping to yourself. I think it's pretty sad keeping people around so you don't look like a loner, and not being able to go out but yourself as a grown adult but 🤷‍♀️

I don't think it would occur to me to go out for dinner alone locally to home, but if I'm out for the day I've got no qualms about stopping at a pub or restaurant for a nice lunch, I've been doing it since I was a teen, I'd sometimes go to Bella Italia on my lunch break from my Saturday job.

On work trips and solo holidays no qualms about having dinner out alone either. I don't recall a waiter ever being taken aback, nor noticed anyone gawping at the poor presumably stood-up loner, although I couldn't give a toss if they did, more pity them if their dinner company is so dull they've got to judge other diners just to pass the time.

It is a bit though that your automatic assumption is "loner" or "stood up" rather than "self-assured" or "businesswoman". When I'm on a work trip why on earth would I sit in my hotel room or my car eating a sandwich over going out to a café or restaurant and having a nice meal while people watching or reading a book?

If I saw someone dining alone I'd just assume they were either on business or just a confident person happy with their own company.

Same here and I love it !
peaceful and can choose where I want to go

You don’t know anyone who does this? Thats fine but plenty of other people do.

Its not unusual to eat out alone but if it does mean people view you as a loner then so be it because what it actually does means is that a person is confident and self assured and not inclined to bother about what others think of them.

Waiters find it odd? That only means they’re probably not very good waiters and they’re lacking in exposure to a varied clientele.

I don't go out to eat by myself but I pretty much have no decent friends if that's any consolation 😂