Now that London has its very own solo dining restaurant called Eenmaa, it got me thinking about the best locations for dining alone in Dublin.
Eenmaal was created by two Dutch design agencies who were aiming to break the taboo of eating alone public, with their first outlet in Amsterdam.
Now I must admit that I am a horrific cook and I tend to massacre meals, so I have always been a fan of dining out and am happy to eat on my own with a newspaper.
However, I hate eating in those places where you are clearly the only person eating alone. On the flipside there’s lots of locations in Dublin where it’s perfectly acceptable to dine on your own, if you find yourself at a loose end and in need of some grub.
Fallon and Byrne
The window seating on the ground floor food hall is perfect for solo dining and you can do a bit of people-watching. The food is decent and there’s loads of options – you can get curry, bangers and mash or a tasty lasagne for under a tenner.
The Bank Pub
Charlie Chawke’s pubs seem to all have a formula and it’s a very good one – very nice food, nicely laid out and decorated venues and sound staff. Portions are huge in the Bank and delicious. The place has lots of character, with a old bank vault in the basement.
Searsons Bar
This is another Chawke pub and as with the Bank you don’t feel too self conscious sitting down at the bar on your own. There’s plenty of sport on the telly too.
The Exchequer
The beauty of the Exchequer is you can sit up by the bar or by the window on your own. They’ve tasty Bloody Marys and wholesome dishes from traditional bacon and cabbage to unreal venison.
The Dean
While the Dean is filled with design porn it’s also a very work-friendly spot. The lobby area has workspaces with plug sockets and wifi, and they have a healthy salad bar and a chicken rotisserie. You can work away happily on your own without being bothered, whilst horsing down half a chicken and plotting world domination on your laptop.
Wagamama
The communal benches here mean you don’t have to take up a table for two like in most restaurants when dining on your own. Whether it’s true or not, I always feel really healthy eating here especially if I have one of their chicken or salmon dishes.
Yamamori
A friend (I swear I have friends and I actually haven’t been to all these places on my own..) recommends this Japanese favourite because of the quick service and you don’t feel unnecessarily bothered by staff.
777
Amazing spot for eating unreal Mexican grub alone at the bar. You really want to be in the mood for going out if you choose to dine in 777 though – their banging tunes and good cocktails get you rightly buzzed for a night out.
A few other spots deserving of a mention:
- The Marker in Grand Canal Dock have lots of suits dining solo over on business, and sick of watching BBC World News in their hotel room.
- Rockets is also an easy spot to drop in for a quick cheeseburger on the way home.
- As is Ely Wine Bar.
All three of the above offer decent grub and a pleasant setting.
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