Hello Fodorites,

I am traveling to NY for 1 night for business. Arriving Sunday afternoon and will likely explore on foot either Soho, Greenwich, or East Village. Need some ideas where a woman dining solo would feel comfortable. Normally when I travel on business I usually sit at the bar and love open kitchen kind of places. I'm pretty social...not a head in a book when I eat type. I was considering Casa Mono. Any thoughts or recommendations?

Sofee, you will feel comfortable anywhere you go and I think Casa Mono would be a great idea. Very fun environment!!

Sofee - checkout chowhound.com Manhattan board - http://www.chowhound.com/boards/manhat/manhat.html
Lots of info on that site. Post this message there & you'll get tons of advice. Off the top of my head, I'd bet you'd enjoy sitting at the "bar" at Hearth.

NYC is a great place to solo dine since it is full of other people who are alone. Now that smoking is banned in bars and restaurants, eating at the bar is a great idea since people tend to be more chatty (and I honestly believe I get better service from bartenders since they know they will get such a big tip).

Another great place to eat solo are diners and upscale diners. I like Mayrose near Union Sqaure, where there are both tables and counters.

Union Square Cafe is a great restaurant. My only complaint with the place is that I usually arrive for a reservation and have to wait for my table. I'd be happy to wait at the bar, but there is never any room as the long bar is always filled with diners (mostly solo) having meals. So it sure seems like an ideal place to dine solo at the bar!

And before I'm slammed, yes, I know it doesn't quite fit the locations you mentioned, but sure easy to get to from those.

I've dined all over Manhattan and the other buroughs solo and can't think of one place I would not go back.

Love eating at the Bar at the Union Square Cafe. Bar dining at Gramercy Tavern on 20th between Park Ave. South and Broadway is great too. In the East Village, there is a open kitchen with a bar to dine at (not a liquor service bar) and watch the cooking at Supper (2nd St. between A and B).