Freelance journalist Hue Pham has long enjoyed dining alone. “Solo dining has always been my default preference,” she says. “For people who are introverted, like myself, my social battery drains very quickly so eating alone is ideal.”
While she still goes out for dinner with friends and family, Pham says that she dines by herself four times as often as she eats out with people. Sassafraz and Planta are two higher-end restaurants in Toronto that she has visited solo.
Pham’s solo dining preference is becoming a popular trend in Canada. Survey results released in August 2024 by Lightspeed Commerce, an e-commerce platform, show that 43 per cent of Canadians had dined alone in sit-down restaurants in the prior six months. OpenTable data also shows the growth of the trend: Reservations on their platform for parties of one increased by 16 per cent from August 2023 to July 2024, compared to the year prior. More Canadians are living alone too, which could be contributing to the growing trend of dining alone. In 2016, single-person households became the predominant household type, comprising 28 per cent of households. That number rose again in 2021 to 29 per cent.
In a world that is ever-connected, Pham also views dining alone as a much-needed luxury. “I get such a pang of anxiety every time I see and hear all the push notifications on my phone apps and feel the dread of not being able to get to it all,” she says. “Eating out alone is a treat I give myself after having an extremely rough day or week.”
Restaurateur Jen Agg, owner of Toronto’s Grey Gardens, Bar Vendetta, Le Swan and the recently launched General Public, has long been a fan of solo dining and has noticed that attitudes around it have changed over time. “The stigma seems to be lifted a little bit,” Agg says. “People used to think that was loser behaviour, which I always thought was nuts. I think people are more comfortable being alone in public than they used to be.”
At her restaurants, Agg has an unwritten policy allowing single diners to order smaller servings of dishes. “Wherever possible, we do a half-portion and charge $1 more than 50 per cent off for our trouble,” she says. “It’s a better experience for the diner. They leave happy and they become ambassadors of the restaurant.”
There are limitations. Some orders, like Bar Vendetta’s Crown Cacio e Pepe – a giant stuffed ricotta – can’t be made smaller. But Agg is happy to offer up easily halved dishes to single diners so that they can enjoy more items from the menu. “There are all sorts of reasons to make sure that single diners are having a great time,” she says. “But for me, it’s just a part of hospitality.”
One thing solo diners need to be aware of is seating. Pham prefers dining at a regular table, and she’s not alone. The Lightspeed Commerce data shows that, in Toronto, solo diners prefer regular tables (38 per cent of respondents) over the bar (20 per cent of respondents). However, restaurants may be hesitant to always accommodate this request.
“It is a loss for a restaurant because solo diners are taking up a table if they’re not at the bar, says Sylvia Potvin, president and owner of Vancouver’s Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. “If you’re a single diner, a restaurant might not be excited to take your table of one reservation on Saturday night at 7 p.m.” Though OpenTable’s data from August 2023 to July 2024 shows that parties of one spend 43 per cent more than the average diner – around $82 per meal.
Agg prefers to seat solo guests at the bar. However, she’s made the bar seats at her newest restaurant, General Public, as comfortable as possible. “They swivel. They have armrests. They have cushioning on the back and on the butt,” she says. “They’re: ‘Let’s sit here for a little while’ bar stools and there’s a lot of legroom underneath.”
And Potvin, who has noticed more and more single diners eating at Michelin-star restaurants, suggests that solo diners preferring a seat at a regular table opt for off-peak bookings on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday when possible. She’s also seen some creative strategies employed by more casual sit-down restaurants, like at Haidilao, the Chinese international hot pot chain that has locations in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Aside from offering half-portions, they offer to seat one of their giant plush mascots: a little “tomato boy” stuffy, panda or tiger, across from you. “It’s super cute,” Potvin says.
Pham doesn’t miss the company when she’s dining alone. Sometimes she’ll bring a book to read, but often she just sits in silence. “As a Buddhist, mindful eating is encouraged – paying attention when you’re eating and enjoying the meal,” she says.
