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More and more people are eating out by alone. Last fall, reservation platforms OpenTable and Kayak . Reservations for one rose 16 per cent in 2024 compared to the year before, and 73 per cent of respondents said they plan on eating out alone in 2025. In ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ those numbers were 17 per cent and 74 per cent, respectively.

´¡³ÙÌýYunnan Noodle Shack in Baldwin Village, solo dining isn’t just accepted — it’s the concept. Inspired by Japan’s ramen booths, the restaurant made headlines in 2023 for designing its dining room around private booths, where guests can enjoy a quiet, solitary meal.

Sure, you could see the trend as a symptom of growing isolation or loneliness. But I see something else: diners aren’t letting scheduling conflicts, the absence of a romantic partner, or social stigma get in the way of a good meal. And often, dining alone opens the door to exactly what it’s assumed to shut out: connection. When you’re on your own, you’re more open to the kinds of brief, surprising interactions — with servers, bartenders, or fellow diners — that remind you just how social a solo night out can be.

Calderon estimates about 20 people eat by themselves at the bar every week. When I ask if he finds it odd, he shakes his head. “We’re working and have more important things to worry about than why they’re here by themselves,” he says. “When I do talk to them, which is a nice break from being in work mode, I’m more curious as to how they found out about our restaurant.” 

He also often dines alone around the city, usually at Latin spots around St. Clair West. Sometimes it’s because the last thing he wants to do is cook after a long shift, other times it’s to keep a pulse on what’s happening in the restaurant scene. Calderon says it’s normal for those who work in the industry to check out places on their own.

And it’s not just restaurant people. When I put out an online call asking if anyone regularly eats by themselves, I received dozens of replies within hours. 

Shana Hillman, who works in economic development, says she began dining solo more often after her divorce at the start of the pandemic.

“My ex-husband wasn’t much of a foodie so I’d go out with friends. When I got a divorce, I was 45 and a lot of my friends were married or had kids so I needed to go out on my own.” One day after an appointment, she didn’t feel like heading home to an empty house, so she checked out the then-new Trattoria Milano inside Eataly at the Manulife Centre. She ordered a Negroni at the bar and admired the space. Eventually, she got hungry and ordered a plate. “That’s how it started for me,” says Hillman, now 49.

She also recalls getting dressed up for a date at Annette Food Market in the Junction, only for the man to cancel at the last minute. She called her friend, who encouraged her to go anyway. Unbeknownst to Hillman, her friend called the restaurant and had them make her a Negroni upon her arrival. 

“I had a beautiful dinner. When I left, there were these two women on the front patio and one of them told me I looked great. I said I got stood up and she said it was his loss. I think I floated home on my bicycle. I felt fantastic.” Even though she now has a partner, she still finds time to dine on her own. “The service is actually a little more friendly (when dining alone) because (the servers) don’t feel like they’re intruding. I get to have real conversations,” she adds, though she sometimes brings a book or paperwork as “a security blanketâ€� to keep herself occupied until the food arrives.

June Findlay, 42, says being single most of her life means she’s used to dining out by herself. Over time, she’s gained a reputation among friends for knowing the best places because she vets them herself before bringing them. For the most part, Findlay says no one minds when she’s by herself but will occasionally get a feeling that other diners are looking at her. 

“You do get a vibe from people, and I’ll put race into it too as a Black woman. Seeing me by myself, it’s almost a shock to them to see I’m here spending money because it’s not what they think whatever a typical Black woman in Canada does...I’m a millennial with disposable income, I’m just here to eat. I’ve never had issues with (restaurant) staff, it’s diners that are like ‘What is she doing here?’”

Still, she doesn’t let it deter her. She’s celebrating her birthday at the end of the month by doing what she did last year: having a quiet lunch by herself on the sunlit second floor of Terroni’s Summerhill location. 

“It’s to enjoy your own company and you’ll be surprised at what you’ll learn about yourself,” says Findlay. “I can better taste the food because I’m not distracted at the table. I learned to be a better conversationalist by being comfortable talking to strangers and asking follow-up questions ... I really feel like we lost the art of conversation without it feeling like a transaction. We need to get back to not exchanging phone numbers, business cards, Instagram handles, just starting a conversation for the sake of a conversation.”

Like Findlay, I’ve also found there’s something about being alone in public that makes other people more willing to talk. But after paying $100, pre-tip, for a three-course meal with drinks at Enoteca, it’s easy to get carried away with treating yourself. Opentable found solo diners spent an average of $82 per meal, 43 per cent more than other diners (). In my case, I ordered more thinking I didn’t have to pay for another person (ha).

When it comes to dining out alone on a budget, Spacing magazine co-founder Shawn Micallef, who also writes about public spaces for the Star, says to seek out more traditional third places, like the cafes featured on “Friends” and “Fraser” where can chat and linger for hours in exchange for an inexpensive cup of coffee.

“Some of the Italian and Portuguese cafes on, say, College or Dundas, pull this off but I think the economics in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ and North America make this difficult,” he tells me through e-mail. “The rent is too damn high, as they say, so everything is more expensive. I liked sitting and writing in Eataly but I went recently and my Americano, with tip, came to over $7, so I don’t think I can do that anymore.”

He adds there are still places in the city, like Brockton Village Bakery, where a coffee and a nata can be had for less than $5, that offer a low-barrier entry to being able to linger and socialize, but they’re increasingly rare. 

And yet, even in pricier or buzzier restaurants, that spirit of casual connection still thrives. Whether it’s a quick chat with staff or a fellow diner curious about what I’m eating, I almost always find myself in conversation. In those moments, I never feel alone.

I asked Hillman what advice she would give to aspiring solo diners.

“Don’t wait for a guy to take you somewhere,” she says. “Sit at the bar and strike up a conversation. Life’s too short to wait for an opportunity to try something new. Enjoy yourself.”