A Table for One, Please: How I Learned to Love Eating Alone While Traveling

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I used to grab takeout rather than walk into a restaurant alone. When I did, I’d sit nervously, scrolling my phone or hiding at a corner table while others enjoyed their meals in lively conversation. The silence, the empty seat, and the occasional glance from nearby diners made me feel exposed. Even the clink of the server clearing the unused plates and glasses seemed louder than it should. But on my solo trip to Malta, I learned that once you stop worrying about how it looks, eating alone while traveling can become a quiet kind of joy.

Table of Contents

• You’re Allowed to Ask for the Good Seat
• Casual Spots are Easier
• Outside Tables Feel Less Awkward
• Bring a Book, or Don’t
• Street Food Solves Everything
• Take Your Time
• Ask Questions
• Order Something New
• Don’t Leave Your Drink
• Practice at Home
• You Don’t Owe Anyone an Explanation
• Not Every Meal Needs a Table
• Enjoy the Silence
• Like it. Pin it.

You’re Allowed to Ask for the Good Seat

When you’re traveling and eating alone, don’t hide. Don’t be afraid to sit front and center where the view is best. I’ve been led to tables by the kitchen door, next to coat racks, and once—right beside a mop bucket. I just smiled and asked for a window seat instead. Choose your seat like you choose your food.

Casual Spots are Easier

Start with cafes, hawker stalls, or seats at the bar. Casual places are easier because people come and go. You blend into the noise and movement. People will look—get over it. When they do, give them something good to notice. When you’re traveling and eating alone in a busy market or street food district, any seat can work—a bench in the shade, a counter with a view, or a table outside where you can watch the world pass by.

Outside Tables Feel Less Awkward

There’s something freeing about fresh air and a street view. I’ve lingered over iced coffee while watching kids chase pigeons and couples argue in low whispers. It’s dinner and a show.

Bring a Book, or Don’t

Sometimes I bring a book and never crack it open. Sometimes I scribble in a notebook between bites. Other times, I sit and do absolutely nothing but enjoy my meal. Text a friend, post a photo, FaceTime someone across the world. Or don’t. You can be alone and connected at the same time. That’s the beauty of modern travel.

Street Food Solves Everything

Markets, night stalls, food trucks—no reservations, no judgment, no empty chair across from you. You eat standing up or perched on a curb, and no one wonders why you’re alone.

Take Your Time

There’s no need to rush through the meal. You’re not on anyone else’s schedule. Order a second drink. Try dessert. Pause between courses. I tell waiters, “I’ll call if I need you,” so they don’t keep stopping by. Just sit by yourself for a while.

Ask Questions

Servers often open up when you show interest. Ask what they recommend. Ask what locals order. It makes the meal more personal and often more memorable.

Order Something New

This is your meal. You don’t have to split the appetizer. You don’t have to explain your choices. Try something you’ve never had before. If you hate it, no one has to know.

Don’t Leave Your Drink

If you need to step away, finish your drink first. Then leave something small to hold your place—your book, scarf, or even sunglasses. It shows you’re not finished.

Practice at Home

Before your next trip, take yourself out to lunch. Then dinner. Start small. Get used to the feeling of sitting solo. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.

You Don’t Owe Anyone an Explanation

If someone asks, you don’t have to justify yourself. Not waiting for anyone. No killing time. You are simply enjoying a meal by yourself. That’s all.

Not Every Meal Needs a Table

Grab takeout and find a bench with a view. I’ve eaten dumplings beside a river and pad Thai on temple steps. Those meals stick with me long after the fancy ones fade.

Enjoy the Silence

No small talk. No distractions. Just you and your food. It’s not lonely—it’s peaceful. The longer you sit with it, the more you’ll like it.

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