Dining Alone
 

Hi!<BR>I will be in Paris for the first time alone in two weeks. How strange will it be for a 22 year old woman to dine alone for dinner? Can you give me some suggestions for moderately priced resturants to get a great meal or where I can dine alone without feeeling uncomfortable?<BR>Thanks for your help!

This would be quite strange to the average Parisian. I would suggest that you order room service in your hotel.

ignore the above, that is a persistent troll <BR><BR>Sarah<BR>I (and many others on this message board) have traveled to Paris both solo and with others, and I have been treated well either way at all levels of restaurants.<BR>Can you give an idea of what you mean by moderately-priced?<BR>Where will you be staying?<BR><BR>

When I was in Paris in February, there was a woman dining alone at Taillevant, which is perhaps the finest restaurant in the city. There are a few places that do communal seating - they have large large tables where they put out dishes for sharing - if you research some of the Paris restaurant sites, I'm sure you'll find them. Have fun!

Thanks Elaine,<BR>I will actually be staying in a hostel in the Bastille district. By moderately priced, I would like to have one great French evening meal for under $50 USD.<BR>

Sandy,<BR>That idea sounds like alot of fun. Can you recommend a website or place to start looking.<BR>Thank you!

Sarah, have you looked at the Cheap Eats book yet? it is a must guide. We used it last year, and were not disappointed at all. It would have you meet your price goal.

Dined all over Italy...alone.<BR>Go for it. If you don't like it, you will find countless alternatives from picnics, to little bistros and cafes where you may feel even more comfortable.<BR>Ditto the "cheap eats" book and Zagat's "paris".<BR>Have a wonderful time.<BR>When will you be there? Possibility you won't have to dine alone.

The Bastille area offers a wide variety of dining places, price ranges, and cuisines. The area right around the Place de la Bastille is a tourist area, so lots of busy bistros/cafes. If you go east into the 11eme, there are excellent Moroccan, Sud-Ouest, Ivory Coast, Thai, and French restaurants that aren't the typical tourist fare. The menus are in French, no English translations usually, and the atmosphere is neighborhood - which means a single female diner is not a novelty. On rue Faubourg St Antoine there are two restaurants that are exceptional: Les Amoynes and Savoir Aimer. The first is owned by an up and coming chef (menu only/about 30euros); the second is a tiny place with great food (about 30euros also for the menu; a la carte is offered). On rue Faidherbe is an excellent Moroccan restaurant. At the Viaduc des Artistes are several good cafes and bistros. On rue Montreuil is a pretty good Chinese restaurant, and a Lebanese restaurant that was recommended (didn't eat there, though). <BR><BR>

You may wish to try one on l"ile Saint-Louis: L'Orangerie. 28 rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Ile. 01 46 33 93 98. Excellent food, cozy ambience, lovely neighborhood. Just a few blocks south and west of your neighborhood. The island is a monument to 17th century architectural inspiration. On the same street,(39) Nos Ancetre les Gaulois, 01 46 33 66 07 and (41)Le Sergent Recruter, 01 43 54 75 42, offering more informal dining.

You could also check into one of the escort services that are available in Paris. For a nominal fee they will provide a male escort to accompany you to dinner etc. One that has had good reviews is the PGS d' E company.

What does PGS d' E stand for? Do you have a phone number?

My old favorite restaurant is Chez Julien, in the 4th, corner of 1 rue Pont Louis Philippe and 62 rue de l’Hotel de Ville.. Telephone 42-78-31-64. Closed Sundays. Last time I was there it was approximately the equivalent of $45 per person including a glass of wine each. You can spend less if you order the (limited) fixed-price menu. The decor is simple but traditional and<BR>pretty, (lace curtains, etc) with very good food. Not very dressy, but not jeans. The restaurant had a short appearance in the film “The Accidental Tourist” when William Hurt was briefly shown dining there<BR>

I'll be happy to go with you, and it will be free. In fact, I'll even select the restaurant. We can share the wine and cut your expenses a bit. Or you can do it alone, and you'll have a fabulous time, just as many of us did on our very first trip to Paris. Have a wonderful time.

I liked eating at Sancerre, a bar on Avenue Rapp. The owner is from the region so he serves food & wine from there. I ate at the bar and made friends.<BR><BR>It seems like all the little places on Rue St. Dominique are fine for dining alone. They are small and the food is great.<BR><BR>I also like Le Fete Galant, located at 13 rue des Ecoles Polytechnique in the Latin Quarter. It is SO tiny, I think you would be better off eating alone! It is very inexpensive and the service is wonderful. It is next door to Cybercafe Latino, where you can check your email. Actually, you can eat at Cybercafe Latino as well but it's bar food.<BR><BR>I usually avoid trendy places when alone, but when I was at La Coupole I did see a woman eating by herself. She looked totally at ease, had her magazine and everything. She oozed confidence, I guess, which is all you need to look good no matter what the situation!

Thank you all for the suggestions! I really appreciate it.<BR><BR>I think I will pass on the escort and whoever posed as me asking for the phone number of the escort service, please use your own name.

I ate in many lovely restaurants in Paris for dinner two weeks ago--and I didn't take a book or journal to keep me occupied either. I never felt out of place or strange. I was enjoying myself and it was evident to the service people and other customers. I was engaged in conversation by both French and American customers. Since I was staying in San Germain and I was determined to walk everywhere, all of the restaurants were in San Germain, however, if the places I ate were any indication I'm sure you will have a lovely time in the places recommended by elivira. Just remember if you expect to be uncomfortable you will be, if you expect to enjoy yourself you will.

I'm sorry to interject on this lovely and informative thread (I too, am looking for this information) but I just have to say that in the past few weeks this HiHo "person" has done NOTHING but provide inaccuracies and other incredibly useless information. It's posters like this that make me wish registration would work. I apologize but he/she/it has just been so incredibly annoying! Disregard ANYTHING that is posted by HiHo!!!

Hi<BR><BR>I spent 20 yrs travelling alone , but a male. A lone meal, with a book is pretty soul destroying.<BR><BR>I frequently saw solo females eating alone.<BR><BR>I was also lonely and wanted to say .......... hi why don't we eat together ?<BR><BR>But I was too shy except for a couple of times where the lady asked me !<BR><BR>Peter<BR>

Topping because everyone is so mean to me.

I've eaten alone in all kinds of restaurants in Paris and have never really given it a thought. Even Coupole, maybe that was me, ha ha. Except I did have a persistent guy who was a pest there trying to hit on me, it was really annoying because I kept telling him to leave me alone, but he wouldn't. La COupole can have some dragueurs, as they say (guys who try to pick up women), but I don't like it much anyway, so don't go there any more. It isn't strange for a woman to dine alone anywhere in the western industrialized world to me, but I just sort of do whatever I want. I think I may feel a little more uncomfortable at expensive restaurants where everyone is a couple and dressed up, though. I have been treated poorly in one restaurant and I think it's because I was a single female; it wasn't that expensive, so you can't predict behavior. The reason I am not quite comfortable isn't really social mores, but because in those kind of restaurants not many diners, male or female, are alone, so that sets a tone. And it isn't quite as casual so I don't feel comfortable reading a newspaper or book as I would in a cafe, it's not the atmosphere to do that in a fancy restaurant with tablecloths, etc. I prefer casual cafes or bistros where you can people-watch, there are other single diners, the waiters joke around or flirt with you, etc. Aside from the money (and I don't spend a lot on dining), it's just kind of more boring to me. I would only go to an expensive restaurant if it were a place I really wanted to try for a special occasion so the meal was going to be an event, but not for routine meals.<BR><BR>I don't feel the same as mpprh, I don't find a lone meal with a book soul-destroying in the slightest, I enjoy it. As a tip, I have met nice men in cafes or bistros, but not by them asking me to join them for dinner which is a bit much (especially if you haven't even spoken to them so don't even know if you like them), but mainly by sitting next to them in a cafe and casually starting a conversation or making comments on the news, an article in the paper, something around or on the street, etc. (either them or me, it goes both ways). There's a big difference between a guy being an unwanted pushy pest (like that guy at La Coupole who sat down uninvited at my table while I was eating a quiet dinner and reading), and being charming and friendly.

I am just curious, I just don't know why people get upset over eating alone. I am serious, what is wrong with eating alone in public? Is is supposed to mean you are a toubled loser? Unloved? I eat alone in restaurants all the time, and my soul is still intact. <BR>Maybe I shouldn't ask, it will put negative ideas in my head.

ttt

I have traveled all over the world, both for business and pleasure, and I frequently dine alone. I think it is quiet common, especially in the business world. <BR><BR>There will be so many tourists in Paris in July, that you, Sarah, dining alone will hardly be noticed. You will see many, many people eating at outside cafes by themselves, both tourist and Parisian.<BR><BR>Even when I have traveled with others, I have sometimes snuck out and ate by myself just to have an hour of peace and quiet.<BR><BR>If you are feeling self-conscious, eat at a sushi bar, where dining alone will not even be noticed.<BR><BR>

OK, just try and change your own attitude, I am sure most of your fellow diners aren't so interested in whether you eat alone as you think. So change your attitude, make them notice you, look mysterious, glamerous, self sufficient. Let them wonder about a mysterious person like yourself. Life is what you make it after all.

Well, Lisa, I agree. I never thought of myself as a wonder woman, but after reading all these threads from women (even young ones) who are concerned about eating alone, I must be a wonder.<BR>Did you all just step out of your kitchens? Take off your aprons and get out there it is 2002! <BR>Aren't any of you business women? Grab your courage and put it on your shoulders and eat in a restuarant like a human being! <BR>"Oh Oh, don't look at me avert your eyes, I am eating alone"