Oh, the joy of a table for ONE

It used to be taboo. Thank heavens, says LIZ HOGGARD, restaurants are finally cottoning on . . .

THERE’S always been something impressive about independent ladies of a certain age who dine solo.

When I was a student, I spent time as a waitress at one of those charming Copper Kettle restaurants in a small Scottish town.

Every lunchtime without fail an elegant lady in her 80s came in for lunch. She had a special table for one (guarded fiercely by the staff) and always ordered the haddock.

‘When you get to my stage in life you need strong flavours so you can taste the meal,’ she winked. In my 50s, I’m beginning to see her point.

For years, I was a covert solo diner myself. I’d avert my gaze as the waiter loudly removed the cutlery and wine glass opposite me (announcing my pariah status). If the restaurant was heaving, I’d head for a table at the back of the room, implying that my friend had been ‘held up’.

Back then dining solo was a plucky, defiant gesture, up there with buying yourself a bouquet of flowers or an expensive ring. ‘You’re so brave,’ female friends would marvel. ‘Don’t you feel a teeny bit self-conscious?’ Actually no, not any more. Today solo diners are out and proud. A table for one has never been easier — or more fashionable.

According to the Waitrose Food and Drink Report 2017-18, released earlier this month, eight in ten people believe eating alone is more socially acceptable than it was five years ago, with close to a third of Britons having done so in the last month. A third of these had done it in the last week, confirming that the taboo of the table for one is finally on the way out.

According to Bookatable, the online reservation service used by thousands of restaurants across the UK, bookings for single tables have risen by 38 per cent since 2014. Today, the one-person economy is booming. Many of us live, work and play alone. We’re a force to be reckoned with.

What’s interesting about the Waitrose report were the reasons people gave for solo dining. Three-quarters said society has become more accepting of those who wish to eat out without friends or partners, and that doing so has lost its tag as a signifier for being sad and lonely. Just under half believe that restaurants are more single person-friendly than they were before.

We don’t all sit down en famille for a meal these days. Divorce rates are rising. The proportion of single adults in the UK [aged over 16] has risen from 30 per cent in 2002 to 35 per cent. Many empty nesters don’t quite know what do with themselves now the dinner table has effectively shrunk. SO

take yourself out to dinner, I say. Bring a bit of colour into your life. See new people. Try a new dish.

In my own life, dining solo is sometimes born of necessity — there’s no time to go home in between meetings, or I just know the fridge chez Hoggard is painfully empty. But often I eat out just for the hell of it.

For me, restaurants are like an extra room of the house — doubling as breakfast bar, office, dating parlour and (in summer) a private garden.

I’ll try and make an ally of the waiter (broad smile, good tip), so I don’t feel too much like JennyNo-Mates, but sometimes the day can be transformed by a chance encounter.

I remember once sitting in a Leeds cafe quietly reading a book, and a handsome man came over and introduced himself. I was sightly mystified — though charmed — until I realised the philosophy book I was reading was called On Flirtation.

I totally understand people who think eating out is a waste of money, especially when many of us are on modest salaries.

‘Why not grab a sandwich if you can’t get home?’ a friend admonishes. She’s right. But if you live alone, eating in the company of other people is a source of comfort and novelty.

It represents a punctuation mark in the day — a chance to take stock, make plans and look after yourself properly for an hour or so. It also makes the flat you return to at 10pm feel less empty.

If friends can’t join me, I choose the venue with care, carry a gripping novel, a pile of newspapers or my phone for company. Twitter is often the most entertaining dinner date, I find. And restaurateurs are making the whole business easier for solo diners, with subtle changes in lighting, seating and menu.

Many modern eateries have designated ‘counter seats’ for solo diners. Others have a chef’s table where you get a front-row view of the kitchen and can pick up a few cheffing tips.

Nationwide chains such as Le Pain Quotidien, Jamie’s Italian and Wagamama have communal tables so you can blend in, or turn and chat to a neighbour if you fancy some company.

Michel Roux Jr, the two- star Michelin chef at the London restaurant Le Gavroche, says they have lots of regular single diners: ‘It’s wonderful because they can strike up a conversation with the waiter, or do their crossword in the corner. They tell me: “We just love coming here because it’s like live theatre”.’ ‘I definitely think it is less of a taboo to dine solo,’ adds Bonny Porter, founder and head chef of Balls & Company, a meatball restaurant in Central London.

‘Restaurants now actively create space to accommodate solo diners, which is reflective of this trend. It is also often cheaper and less time- consuming for a diner to pop in solo, instead of having to eat spaghetti at home four nights in a row, or throw away leftovers.’

Foodwise, a new informality to eating out makes the solo dining experience less stuffy. Big bowls of noodles, pasta or salads lend themselves to a person who has pitched up alone.

Sam Hair’s new venue Bombay Bustle on London’s Maddox Street offers a ‘Dabba’ box filled with everything one person would need for lunch — some rice, curry, chutney and naan. She understands the needs of the modern solo diner. ‘ Big menus can be intimidating if you’re alone, as it’s difficult to get a proper taste of the restaurant without ordering a huge amount.’

Some places have touch screens so you don’t have to speak to a waiter, or you can order ahead on the phone (by call or app) to cut down on awkward waiting time. YES,

once restaurants might have looked at us suspiciously, fearing too many tables taken up by one-person bills, but today many prefer solo diners.

We’re polite, give staff our full attention and ask more questions. This in turn gives them more of a chance to make an impression. Even if we have the full threecourse menu, we leave reasonably early. And (mostly) sober.

Waiters look out for regulars, too. That lovely octogenarian in Scotland was our favourite diner and it was touching the way we — her restaurant para-family — kept a discreet eye on her.

When one day she didn’t turn up, we raised the alarm. It turned out she’d fallen at home and couldn’t move. Fortunately, weeks later she was back at her table again looking just as chic.

I love my friends, but I like solo dining, too. After all, meaningful ‘me’ time is increasingly important in our stressful lives, so don’t rush that dessert — you deserve it.