Eating out in NYC Alone

I am going to NYC in August and will be staying at Crowne Plaza Times Square

a bit worried about eating out on my own worried i will look odd lol

Any ideas where i could go on my own for dinner

Eating out in NYC Alone

New York has many business travelers who do eat alone. It is not so unusual that you will get stared at. Here are some suggestions:

Bring a book to read, postcards to write or a puzzle to do during the wait to be served. Or, find a restaurant with outdoor tables and watch the world go by.

Another option is to visit a restaurant that offers a communal table. Here is a list of restaurants in NY with communal tables.

Avra Estiatorio 鈥?141 East 48th Street 鈥?New York, New York 鈥?(212) 759-8550

Bar Boulud 鈥?1900 Broadway 鈥?New York, New York 鈥?(212) 595-0303

Counter dining, too!

Boqueria 鈥?53 West 19th Street 鈥?Chelsea, New York, New York 鈥?(212) 255-4160

Braii 鈥?329 West 51st Street 鈥?New York, New York 鈥?(212) 315-3315

Buddakan 鈥?75 Ninth Avenue 鈥?New York, New York 鈥?(212) 989-6699 (Thanks 鈥?Elizabeth!)

Cafe Boulud 鈥?20 East 76th Street 鈥?New York, New York 鈥?(212) 772-2600 (Thanks 鈥?Tom!)

Daisy May%26#39;s BBQ U.S.A. 鈥?623 11th Avenue 鈥?New York, New York 鈥?(212) 977-1500 (Thanks 鈥?Bob!)

Fig %26amp; Olive Kitchen and Tasting Bar 鈥?808 Lexington Avenue 鈥?New York, New York 鈥?(212) 207-4555 (Thanks 鈥?Debra!)

Il Bagatto 鈥?190 East 2nd Street 鈥?New York, New York 鈥?(212) 228-3562 (Thanks 鈥?George!)

Mercer Kitchen 鈥?99 Prince Street 鈥?New York, New York 鈥?(212) 966-5454

Parea 鈥?36 East 20th Street 鈥?New York, New York 鈥?(212) 777-8448

Salt 鈥?53 West 19th Street 鈥?Soho, New York 鈥?(212) 674-4968 (Thanks 鈥?Almay!)

Stand 鈥?24 East 12th Street 鈥?New York 鈥?(212) 488-5900 (Thanks 鈥?Bill!)

Eating out in NYC Alone

If you put the words dining solo or eating solo in the text search box just above, you%26#39;ll find dozens of previous posts on the subject. Here%26#39;s just one

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k2385896鈥?/a>

Bottom line, it%26#39;s common, don%26#39;t worry, most restaurants will serve you at the bar or at tables in the bar area if you prefer but you can sit wherever you want. There are millions of NYers who dine solo.

Hi Westie Girl! I%26#39;m not a local nor have I visited NYC yet, (first trip is in July), but I%26#39;ve haunted this forum long enough to know that eating alone is no big deal in NYC. Check the %26#39;stickys%26#39; at the top and you%26#39;ll find several trip reports posted by people who came to NYC alone and had a marvelous time. You could also use the %26#39;search feature%26#39; at the top and type in ';solo dining'; or something to that effect and I%26#39;ll bet you will find lots of info.

Happy planning!

Sorry Whiz. I must have been typing while you were.

WestieGirl, the typical Manhattan household consists of one person living alone. Being from here my whole life, what I found odd was the idea (which I only learned from seeing this question being asked before) that there are places in the world where it is somehow thought odd for people to eat alone in restaurants. I mean, what are you supposed to do -- go hungry unless you can find someone else willing to sit across the table? The concept seems bizarre. Solo diners are nothing unusual in New York, and are welcome everywhere. As a matter of fact, they have an advantage over groups of two or more, as it becomes less of a problem if you choose to eat at the bar instead of at a table - a popular choice for solo diners, but certainly not obligatory. You will therefore find New York City a pleasant change from those weird places that treat solo diners as peculiarities.

I am a solo NYorker who frequently eats solo. Dietary restrictions have me in different restaurants than you would frequent--but trust me--no big deal. In NYC people don%26#39;t look at your strange for anything. (Hey--we have the naked cowboy and naked cowgirl--and tourists pay attention, NYorkers just ho hum on their way..)

WestieGirl,

Crowne Plaza is right on Times Square. Behind it is Eighth Ave. Walk a couple of blocks to Ninth Ave and you%26#39;ll see a plethors of locally-owned cheap restaurants -- and some not so cheap -- that a person can easily eat in, alone, without being stared at.

Beyond that, what BrooklynMel said: bring postcards or puzzles to have something to do until the meal arrives.

BTW should you be awake at 12:30 at night and homesick, turn on your hotel TV to channel 2. Craig Ferguson, your fellow Scot, is the host of the Late Late show.

Welcome to NYC!

TourguideStan

';I%26#39;m not a local nor have I visited NYC yet, (first trip is in July), but I%26#39;ve haunted this forum long enough to know that eating alone is no big deal in NYC.';

Are there places where it IS a big deal? Count me in as another one who doesn%26#39;t ';get'; this question, which seems to pop up all the time. Other than Saudi Arabia, where I think a woman is supposed to be with a male if she%26#39;s out in public, where else is it a big issue?

J%26#39;agree! Not only do most NYC places serve singles, but they are often quite gracious. With so many indigenous singles and/or business clientele, it is usual.

NYC is a great place for singles, to live, to visit. Fear not!

';Are there places where it IS a big deal?'; There are definitely places where the restaurants (generally speaking) are far more apt than here in NYC to stick solo diners at the worst tables, e.g., by the kitchen door, not give singletons the first table for 2 that becomes available.

I%26#39;ll acknowledge I felt (unnecessarily!) self-conscious the first couple of times I did it after my divorce. And if a vacation is the first time you%26#39;ve gone solo to a true restaurant for dinner (not a fast food joint or a quick lunch), it might seem more discomfiting than were you going it alone on your ';home turf.';