Posts tagged "restaurant etiquette"

Table for One: Tips for Women Dining Alone

September 12, 2011

I was married for 23 years and when I was first separated I felt very uncomfortable about dining alone. Just asking for a “table for one” –never mind sitting alone at the table—was enough to put me into a tizzy. I imagined everyone was looking at me . . . and feeling sorry for me because I was eating ALONE! Even if they weren’t looking, there was this feeling that they were.

In those days I opted to eat alone at home instead, but as I needed to travel more, I had just two choices: eat in a restaurant or go hungry! At times I would have been better off to go hungry. Sometimes I just felt so out of place.

May I Serve You?
I’ve discovered that restaurants typically take two approaches to single women, if it’s not business as usual. Either women alone are seated at a poor table, or they are treated extremely well.

In many restaurants, if you’re a woman dining alone and you ask for the table by the window–you’re certain to be told that it’s reserved. On those occasions when you discover one of those restaurants that DO treat solo diners well, you’ll find that they go out of their way to make you feel more comfortable–even bringing you the latest newspaper to read! (Now THIS is a place I’m telling my women friends about because that’s what we do – share information!)

Do’s and Do’s of Dining Alone

Here are a few do’s for dining alone to help ease any discomfort:

Do call and make a reservation (even for one!). Request a table with a view of the room (not hidden away in a corner by the kitchen!)
Do bring along your iPad (I do!) or Kindle. It’s a great time to read or write.
Do dress up. Even though you’re not accompanied by a date, you can still show it off! It feels good to look good!
From time to time it’s OK to look at other diners …. And even smile!
Do leave your cell phone in the car or turned off in your handbag. Enjoy your own company. And let others around you enjoy their conversations without listening to you chatting on the phone. They say if you can’t have a romantic dinner by yourself than you can’t have one with someone else either!
Eat slowly. Take your time and enjoy the evening. How often do you get uninterrupted reflection time?

The last piece of advice is this: “Remember the tip – and make it a good one.”

People that work in restaurants claim that men are better tippers. My friend Heather thinks women are just more practical. We can’t be swayed by a great set of legs! I think women are really just better at gauging how well wait staff are doing. If we tip well, we are fans, and we will tell everyone we know—probably for years and years!

Are you a woman who dines out alone? Do you have any tips you can share that will help others feel more comfortable? Share in the comments below!

Bon appétit!