A word from Abeona: The art of eating alone whilst travelling solo

Owning the restaurant as a Luxury Solo Female Traveller

One of the most daunting challenges when travelling alone as a female, is dining alone.

At travel with Abeona, we have walked into a crowded restaurant, heart pounding, feeling anxious but trying to remain poised whilst desperately wishing we were somewhere else and frankly just waiting to get the damn dinner done and out of the way. 

Given we normally dine in great restaurants across the globe, girls, this seems to be an awful shame. 

We should be savouring every delicious moment and not wishing the time away. 

Let me assure you, dining alone, as part of your luxury solo female travels, when approached in the correct fashion can be marvellous and rewarding. 

So what vexes one about dining alone? 

Breakfast, coffee, lunch no problems, but it’s the Evening meals in particular seem to be the most upsetting, cause us the most angst, and bring on the greatest sense of not fitting in.  

Emotionally, come dinner time, our reserves are dipping, much of our energies have been spent earlier in the day and it is naturally a time we feel more vulnerable.  It is a time when we are most likely to think of others and wish we had some company, an ear to listen to our tales and adventures of the day that has passed. 

It’s so easy to order Room Service, so why put ourselves through the hassle and discomfort?

It comes as no surprise then that a lone woman tucking into a three course meal sans companions, not only sends us into a bit of a spin, but can raise an eyebrow or two from fellow diners and staff. All of the voices in our head telling us why it’s going to be an unpleasant experience are from the same authors who tell us we shouldn’t be travelling alone in the first place.

Let me assure you, it is not that women cannot dine alone, simply that we have been taught that it’s not what we should be doing.

Once you learn to silence those voices and to own the experience (be it good or bad) you don’t look back.

Dining alone – how to  enjoy, own and love the experience

Luxury solo dining is an experience to be savoured. Embrace your time alone for soon enough you will be back in the everyday buzz of normality. 

Build a strong solo dining mindset and you will be ready to take on the finest eateries – alone! 

Be the beholder 

Be the person beholding the scene, not the beholder. Look for beauty in your surroundings, ignore the other diners, focus on what you love about what you can see, hear and feel. 

Make it your event

Hold your head high as you enter the restaurant. Dress up. Dress down. Lipstick. No lipstick. Be comfortable. Be unapologetically, you. 

Revel in the freedom of choice

Dining alone is solo female travel at its finest. You don’t have to share the lobster. The menu is yours to explore and enjoy. No food envy or food shaming here! Leave a tip, don’t leave a tip.

Sensory experience

Make dinner a sensory experience. Challenge your taste buds or indulge them, focus on each mouthful, sip of wine, tune into your environment. Sounds, sights, smells, taste – tuning deeply into our senses whilst eating heightens and elevates any meal time. 

Time for reflection 

Dinner is a great time to give yourself time to reflect and annotate. Write in a journal. We love looking back at our photographs and revisiting memories of the day. 

Reach out

There is no rule saying one cannot stay connected with loved ones when journeying alone as a woman. Use the time before dinner to catch up on Facebook, chat via WhatsApp, check in with your fav people and share your stories of the day. 

Entertain yourself 

Books, kindles and iPads all have their place at dinnertime. We find there are some evenings when a little downtime from engaging with our surroundings is required. Armed with a good source of entertainment can be a real boost when our energies have ebbed. 

Relish the moment 

Above all else, relish the moment. Done well, dining alone as a female can be an immensely luxurious, relaxing and rewarding part of luxury solo travel.  

Adjusting to dining alone is a rite of passage. Get the time, venue and table location right, and dining alone becomes a must have part of your trip.

Once accustomed to dining alone – your rules, your way – you will love it. 

Luxury dining with Abeona

At travel with Abeona, we not only source the most luxurious of five star hotels for our guests, we seek out the most delectable 5* dining establishments across Europe and the Globe.

So if you are seeking some #AbeonaTime, our Abeona team of expert luxury travel planners will help you source the very best boutique style hotels and luxury experiences tailored to your unique needs.  We will also make sure your reservation is at the right restaurant, at the right table and at the right time….

Drop our team of luxury travel planning experts an email  abeona@abeona-experiences.tempurl.host and we’ll be in touch to hear all about your trip so you can stop dreaming and start planning.