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All you have to say is hi to get a conversation going with me. I eat alone quite often. If your eating at the bar and look approachable I would say hi and strike up a conversation. If the exchange was more than a line or two and you dropped a hint that you were interested I would probably ask what you were doing later and ask you out.
On the other hand if you had your face planted in your soup or absorbed by your cell phone I may not even say hi.
This sounds about right!
If you want to make new friends...eat at the bar and say hi.
If you want some quiet time? Bring armor: book, magazine, smartphone, tablet......
If you want to make new friends...eat at the bar and say hi.
If you want some quiet time? Bring armor: book, magazine, smartphone, tablet......
Jade, think about bookstore cafes. There, you've picked out the books (the armor ) and one can easily get into a conversation. In fact, I've talked to more people in that setting than I ever have in a bar. At a bar, it's usually a pub and I'm there to eat, or I go with a group of people during happy hour for the specials.
Jade, think about bookstore cafes. There, you've picked out the books (the armor ) and one can easily get into a conversation. In fact, I've talked to more people in that setting than I ever have in a bar. At a bar, it's usually a pub and I'm there to eat, or I go with a group of people during happy hour for the specials.
Very true...books are crappy armor at a cafe.
The bar....on the other hand...it is more unusual to have a book at on a bar stool. So you look like you are not there to mingle. Or if you have a laptop.
All you have to say is hi to get a conversation going with me. I eat alone quite often. If your eating at the bar and look approachable I would say hi and strike up a conversation. If the exchange was more than a line or two and you dropped a hint that you were interested I would probably ask what you were doing later and ask you out.
On the other hand if you had your face planted in your soup or absorbed by your cell phone I may not even say hi.
The funny part is, I'm a very sweet person, but I tend to have a very serious look. I've been told that I can come across as cold. I need to work on this by smiling much more.
I go out to eat by myself all the time. I usually sit at the bar and people watch. Sometimes some guy actually has balls to approach me but normally they don't. It really isn't as bad as you think. More than not, the bartender is more than happy to have a conversation with you..
The funny part is, I'm a very sweet person, but I tend to have a very serious look. I've been told that I can come across as cold. I need to work on this by smiling much more.
Watch out. You may find with more smiles that people will just randomly talk your ear off. :P
I'm an attractive young woman, and I eat alone in restaurants. I don't always have someone to go with, so I go alone and sit at the bar. While I'm fine going to lunch alone or a weekday dinner, I haven't had the courage to go alone on a Friday or Saturday night. Sometimes people talk to me, other times they don't. I usually bring something to read while I'm waiting for my meal, but I don't typically read while eating.
There were two times that male waiters made me uncomfortable about eating alone, one was especially rude about it and gave me crappy service - both of those times I was sitting alone at a table instead of the bar. The one waiter got over my being alone pretty quickly, but I could tell he was annoyed (one person = smaller tip). Of course, when my friends unexpectedly showed up, he was very eager to please. I guess two times out countless meals alone isn't bad, though.
I also suggest trying meetup groups in DC. There are some brunch or dinner groups out there, or single female groups, or singles groups that do things like this together. I need to do them in my current city. In my last city, I made some really good friends from meetup.com. Good luck to you and enjoy solo dining!
I see it all the time, especially in this area. I do it myself. I am not directly in the DC area, but I am in the metropolitan area of Northern Virginia.
I just ate lunch by myself yesterday! As far as I am concerned, I use it as a time to watch and listen to my surroundings.
I'm an attractive young woman, and I eat alone in restaurants. I don't always have someone to go with, so I go alone and sit at the bar. While I'm fine going to lunch alone or a weekday dinner, I haven't had the courage to go alone on a Friday or Saturday night. Sometimes people talk to me, other times they don't. I usually bring something to read while I'm waiting for my meal, but I don't typically read while eating.
There were two times that male waiters made me uncomfortable about eating alone, one was especially rude about it and gave me crappy service - both of those times I was sitting alone at a table instead of the bar. The one waiter got over my being alone pretty quickly, but I could tell he was annoyed (one person = smaller tip). Of course, when my friends unexpectedly showed up, he was very eager to please. I guess two times out countless meals alone isn't bad, though.
I also suggest trying meetup groups in DC. There are some brunch or dinner groups out there, or single female groups, or singles groups that do things like this together. I need to do them in my current city. In my last city, I made some really good friends from meetup.com. Good luck to you and enjoy solo dining!
I haven't tried eating alone at a restaurant on a Friday or Saturday night either. I usually just elect to cook at home or order takeout during the weekends.
I will definitely try out a meet-up group. I'm sure it will be fun.
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) and one can easily get into a conversation. In fact, I've talked to more people in that setting than I ever have in a bar. At a bar, it's usually a pub and I'm there to eat, or I go with a group of people during happy hour for the specials.
