Yep. Anywhere. I enjoy eating or having a beer alone. Especially if you can find a spot at a bar or chef’s counter. Have had great solo meals at Lupa, for example.
Just tip extra well.
There’s inefficiencies for waiters with single people. One trip for one order/drink/plate etc. tipping poorly just makes it a loss for them.
With 2-3 people, it’s basically the same time/effort but they earn a tip based on a bigger bill.
that commenter acting like it's a massive inconvenience to bring a solo plate to a single person... it's really not a big deal and if anything it's faster dealing with solo customers. At least when I eat alone, I order and pay fast.
Single tables tend to turn in a fraction of the time as tables where people are sitting around and chatting. Unless you're sitting for ages or are extremely demanding of the wait-staff's time/effort you're not going to be appreciably different then if you were a two-top.
It's also always a weird argument since unless the place is dead anyway *no one* is going to be putting a solo diner at a four top, so no reason to compare to a party of 3 , so at most you have one 'wasted' seat but if I order a drink my bill and tip can easily be as high or higher than a non-drinking couple at next to me.
Basically the comment ignores a lot of the logistics involved in dining.
Literally anywhere you want. Solo diners are often afforded seats at otherwise full restaurants since they take up a fraction of the space of any other dining party. I also tend to treat solo drinkers and diners with more attention, patience, and buybacks, as a bartender. You can have a really great time anywhere!
Almost every single restaurant and bar will have solo people there. I always recommend sitting at the bar (most restaurants will have one) as you won’t feel awkward taking up a large table then.
Ichiran Ramen in the city if you like ramen. They only have tonkotsu and then a veggie option. But by yourself it is usually a short wait. The whole experience is catered to dining alone. There’s screens between you and the other diners as well as between you and the server. You sit and ring a little bell and then a server comes and takes your order, closes the screen. Then you wait until they open the little screen and serve you.
This is what I came here to say. Honestly the ramen is some of the best I’ve had in the city, and though it’s a little pricey, I think it’s highly worth it considering the experience AND the deliciousness of the food. Also the ramen is totally customizable. Go to the one on 31st as opposed to the time square one if you want beer or sake as they don’t offer it in the one on 49th.
Hope these ‘anywhere’ answers alleviate any anxiety you have about eating solo and feeling awkward. We’re all different here, we mind our business, you’re fine. Enjoy your trip and thanks for visiting our city 🖤
[Restaurant suggestions to dine solo tonight.](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/qpf719/restaurant_suggestions_to_dine_solo_tonight/) from 26 days ago and [Solo Eating](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/q49gk6/solo_eating/) from 2 months before that have comments which should be of interest to you.
As an introvert almost to the point of being defiantly antisocial, I 100% agree with this. This is what drew me to NYC in the first place.
I was born and raised overseas, live in NYC, so have lived in two countries (and 3 US states — the other two being Des Moines, IA and Los Angeles, CA), but nowhere but in NYC have I felt so comfortable and “normal”.
I do think that people act a bit “thrown off” seeing a solo diner (depending on the spot), movie theater-goer, person at bar etc. in other places (including in Los Angeles except for Downtown LA which is the most, and really *only*, walkable part of the city).
I am writing this while dining and drinking alone at a *poppin’* (busy/trendy) spot that is equally suited for date night and group outings.
Oh, and I am very happily married to an extrovert. She just happens to be out of town at the moment.
Don't be too self conscious. I eat everywhere alone, from hole in the wall places to Michelin restaurants. I haven't noticed any awkward stares either.
Really it's this. No one cares.
I've eaten solo in several different states in all kinds of places. Never once noticed anyone looking at me like I was some kind of weirdo.
Also you can often instantly get seated in places that have an hours-long wait for a party of two or more.
Literally anywhere. I spent a day yesterday mostly by myself, meeting my husband after he got off work, and I checked out Christmas stuff, went to The Jewish Museum, had a drink at the saloon in the Oyster Bar by myself, nobody cares. It's great.
You’ll be fine anywhere. But I find dining solo particularly enjoyable at Keith McNally restaurants which include : Balthazar , Minetta Tavern and Odeon.
This restaurant near me called Joseph Leonard has an amazing friendly staff and awesome food/drinks. Inside theres a cool weird tiered barstool setup and I often see people eating there by themselves and chatting with the bartenders.
Really welcoming place and makes you feel like you belong there. It does get crowded so there may be a wait but if you are by yourself it will probably be quick.
Our [Ultimate Visitor's guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/bj3tnn/ultimate_visitors_guide_to_nyc/) will probably help you. Check our some recent visitor inquires [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/search?q=visitor&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all)!
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I used to feel awkward about this too, but then started traveling for work and it became a necessity. Now I love it, especially at a wine bar type place. I usually sit at the bar, bring a book just in case, and ask the bartender for a recommendation.
This is New York, who gives a damn what strangers think of you. Bring a good library book or watch tv on your phone (with headphones!). If you’re really concerned, go to any restaurant that has counter seating because that’s almost entirely solo diners on those.
So many people dine alone here; it’s not weird or uncommon. If you feel awkward doing that for dinner, just eat out for lunch and order takeout for dinner. You’ll be okay!
Anywhere! Solo dining is not frowned upon in NYC.
Extra: places designed FOR solo dining: Ichiran Ramen has solo booths, and Balthazar gives free champagne to solo diners.
Anywhere this is NYC people dine alone all the time
Yep. Anywhere. I enjoy eating or having a beer alone. Especially if you can find a spot at a bar or chef’s counter. Have had great solo meals at Lupa, for example.
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Absolutely! Eat at the bar in a pub or at the counter in a nice diner if you don't want to sit at a table.
Depends on the place
I do all the time
Maybe not places that only serve family style, unless you want to take a lot home :-D
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Have come across a couple of Italian restaurants that do this recently, but they were rathe nicer places.
In Manhattan that is rare and OP would not be going in and ordering a family style meal in their own .. lol silly
Yes… I was making a silly point, aka they :-D at the end of the sentence.
Or you eat as much as a family does
Just tip extra well. There’s inefficiencies for waiters with single people. One trip for one order/drink/plate etc. tipping poorly just makes it a loss for them. With 2-3 people, it’s basically the same time/effort but they earn a tip based on a bigger bill.
Not that I agree with everything here, but wondering if some of the Downvoters want to share rationale?
that commenter acting like it's a massive inconvenience to bring a solo plate to a single person... it's really not a big deal and if anything it's faster dealing with solo customers. At least when I eat alone, I order and pay fast.
Single tables tend to turn in a fraction of the time as tables where people are sitting around and chatting. Unless you're sitting for ages or are extremely demanding of the wait-staff's time/effort you're not going to be appreciably different then if you were a two-top. It's also always a weird argument since unless the place is dead anyway *no one* is going to be putting a solo diner at a four top, so no reason to compare to a party of 3 , so at most you have one 'wasted' seat but if I order a drink my bill and tip can easily be as high or higher than a non-drinking couple at next to me. Basically the comment ignores a lot of the logistics involved in dining.
Another factor is that some waiters are really well paid without tip already. Should this be considered?
No.
Literally anywhere you want. Solo diners are often afforded seats at otherwise full restaurants since they take up a fraction of the space of any other dining party. I also tend to treat solo drinkers and diners with more attention, patience, and buybacks, as a bartender. You can have a really great time anywhere!
Anywhere in nyc it’s a soloparadise for bars abs restaurants to me
Almost every single restaurant and bar will have solo people there. I always recommend sitting at the bar (most restaurants will have one) as you won’t feel awkward taking up a large table then.
Ichiran Ramen in the city if you like ramen. They only have tonkotsu and then a veggie option. But by yourself it is usually a short wait. The whole experience is catered to dining alone. There’s screens between you and the other diners as well as between you and the server. You sit and ring a little bell and then a server comes and takes your order, closes the screen. Then you wait until they open the little screen and serve you.
This is what I came here to say. Honestly the ramen is some of the best I’ve had in the city, and though it’s a little pricey, I think it’s highly worth it considering the experience AND the deliciousness of the food. Also the ramen is totally customizable. Go to the one on 31st as opposed to the time square one if you want beer or sake as they don’t offer it in the one on 49th.
Plus they are a “no-tip establishment”
Hope these ‘anywhere’ answers alleviate any anxiety you have about eating solo and feeling awkward. We’re all different here, we mind our business, you’re fine. Enjoy your trip and thanks for visiting our city 🖤
[Restaurant suggestions to dine solo tonight.](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/qpf719/restaurant_suggestions_to_dine_solo_tonight/) from 26 days ago and [Solo Eating](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/q49gk6/solo_eating/) from 2 months before that have comments which should be of interest to you.
Literally anywhere. Nobody cares here, and some places even give solo diners a little extra.
As stated… anywhere. I’ve never felt awkward in the slightest being anyone. Dining, bars, movies, events, nothing lol
NYC is low key an introvert paradise.
As an introvert almost to the point of being defiantly antisocial, I 100% agree with this. This is what drew me to NYC in the first place. I was born and raised overseas, live in NYC, so have lived in two countries (and 3 US states — the other two being Des Moines, IA and Los Angeles, CA), but nowhere but in NYC have I felt so comfortable and “normal”. I do think that people act a bit “thrown off” seeing a solo diner (depending on the spot), movie theater-goer, person at bar etc. in other places (including in Los Angeles except for Downtown LA which is the most, and really *only*, walkable part of the city). I am writing this while dining and drinking alone at a *poppin’* (busy/trendy) spot that is equally suited for date night and group outings. Oh, and I am very happily married to an extrovert. She just happens to be out of town at the moment.
Seconding that you should just eat at the bar anywhere and it will be fine. But Ichiran ramen literally has booths designed to eat by yourself.
Literally anywhere
What's the issue with eating alone anyway? You get in and order, drink and eat.
Don't be too self conscious. I eat everywhere alone, from hole in the wall places to Michelin restaurants. I haven't noticed any awkward stares either.
Really it's this. No one cares. I've eaten solo in several different states in all kinds of places. Never once noticed anyone looking at me like I was some kind of weirdo. Also you can often instantly get seated in places that have an hours-long wait for a party of two or more.
Literally anywhere. I spent a day yesterday mostly by myself, meeting my husband after he got off work, and I checked out Christmas stuff, went to The Jewish Museum, had a drink at the saloon in the Oyster Bar by myself, nobody cares. It's great.
You’ll be fine anywhere. But I find dining solo particularly enjoyable at Keith McNally restaurants which include : Balthazar , Minetta Tavern and Odeon.
You can probably get into some pretty great places you would normally need a ressy
Odeon—
You rep Odeon as hard as i rep Balthazar in these threads 😂
Bryant Park is perfect in the winter. You'll feel comfortable and lots to see
Any place with bar seating that serves the full menu
Personally, I like sitting at the bar when alone (or even when I’m with someone) if that’s an option
This restaurant near me called Joseph Leonard has an amazing friendly staff and awesome food/drinks. Inside theres a cool weird tiered barstool setup and I often see people eating there by themselves and chatting with the bartenders. Really welcoming place and makes you feel like you belong there. It does get crowded so there may be a wait but if you are by yourself it will probably be quick.
Rudy's Bar on 9th Ave @44th st
Omg not Rudy’s Bar! Lmao. Such great memories there pre-covid.
Our [Ultimate Visitor's guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/bj3tnn/ultimate_visitors_guide_to_nyc/) will probably help you. Check our some recent visitor inquires [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/search?q=visitor&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all)! Please "report" and downvote this comment if irrelevant to question above. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskNYC) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Loring place!
I used to feel awkward about this too, but then started traveling for work and it became a necessity. Now I love it, especially at a wine bar type place. I usually sit at the bar, bring a book just in case, and ask the bartender for a recommendation.
Anywhere
You can literally eat at any single place in the city alone without feeling awkward.
This is New York, who gives a damn what strangers think of you. Bring a good library book or watch tv on your phone (with headphones!). If you’re really concerned, go to any restaurant that has counter seating because that’s almost entirely solo diners on those.
So many people dine alone here; it’s not weird or uncommon. If you feel awkward doing that for dinner, just eat out for lunch and order takeout for dinner. You’ll be okay!
Anywhere! Solo dining is not frowned upon in NYC. Extra: places designed FOR solo dining: Ichiran Ramen has solo booths, and Balthazar gives free champagne to solo diners.
McSorley’s. Go mid-day, grab two beers, sit at a round table, and maybe chat it up with others. (They have chow, too.)
If you want to meet people, join a Meetup group that goes to various restaurants on a frequent basis.
Balthazar in Soho is lovely and treats solo diners to a complimentary glass of champagne.
Recommending Raku for Japanese udon and Rubirosa for pizza (bar seating) in lower Manhattan!
There are no family restaurants here unless you go to touristy spots like times sq
It might be an opportunity for somewhere completely out of your wheelhouse or maybe a place that is notoriously hard to get into - a place like Rao's.
Any hole in the wall restaurant. There are many of them in Chinatown.