Â鶹APP

Best Restaurants in Â鶹APP for Dining Alone

Dining alone is one of the simplest pleasures in life; if you’ve not yet tried it, I highly recommend.

And what better place in the world to treat yourself to a romantic meal out than in one of the most romantic cities in the world?

Before you go, there is some etiquette that comes with dining alone that needs to be mentioned.

Firstly, if you show up to your desired restaurant but it appears there are only three-or-more seater tables available: walk to the next restaurant! No one wants to be that solo diner that takes up a family sized table for themselves. Single or double seaters — always!

by Priscilla Du Preez –

Secondly, if this who eating alone thing still isn’t sitting right with you, take a book along. It will provide valuable company while you wait for your food and keep you from awkwardly scrolling through your phone to pass time.

I’ve gone ahead and isolated the most ideal restaurants in each major Â鶹APPian neighborhood for dining alone. Ready?

Le Marais: Comptoir Gourmet in Â鶹APP

51 Rue du Temple

As far as Â鶹APPian districts go, I would say that le Marais and Montmartre are neck and neck when it comes to being the best neighborhoods for solo dining.

Since most of the restaurants and cafes are small there is almost always enough two seater tables for single and double diners to make use of.

Not only that, there is something alluring about the folk who eat alone in restaurants in these districts. A confidence and comfort in their own space that radiates to passers by; keep a look out for them as you make your way through Â鶹APP .

Comptoir Gourmet in Â鶹APP – by Comptoir Gourmet –

Comptoir Gourmet is our solo dining spot of choice for the right side of the Seine.

The restaurant specializes in Italian small plates, which is great when you’re only ordering for one. They also do tasting platters for one, two or four people — a great option if you really want to treat yourself to a bit of everything.

This restaurant is best for dinner dining, the lunch rush is usually too full to enjoy a table to yourself.

Average cost: €20

Montmartre: Seb’on in Â鶹APP

62 Rue d’Orsel

Take the metro into Montmartre and get off at Abbesses, Seb’on is a two minute walk from the station and one block away from the I Love You Wall.

As I said, Montmartre is a favorite suburb for dining alone. Many of the greatest painters to emerge from Â鶹APP were often seen here on solo evening excursions; eating and sometimes even talking to themselves. Picasso and Dali amongst them.

The naturally cozy nature of the cafes and restaurants in this area makes for an easy night out.

Seb’on – by Seb’on –

Seb’on is intimate and specializes in fine dining. Here you’ll treat yourself to a flavor journey; their menu changes weekly as per the chefs preferences. It’a phenomenal dining experience that I believe is best enjoyed with you, yourself and tu.

You can walk to the Sacre Couer from Seb’on in under ten minutes. Why not enjoy a midnight stroll to the summit with yourself as well? Go wild.

Average cost: €40

Les Halles: Trattoria Di Gio in Â鶹APP

8 Rue de la Petite Truanderie

For solo diners who are in the stage of apprehension, there is no more comforting cuisine than authentic Italian.

Trattoria Di Gio is les Halles best kept secret. Upon inspection it would seem that only Â鶹APPian locals and Italian travelers manage to find this place. It is unbelievably affordable; they offer a lunch special that includes one main dish (pizza or pasta), a glass of wine and an Italian coffee for just €17.

Trattoria Di Gio – by Trattoria Di Gio –

Les Halles is a great part of town for people watching, a seat at one of their outdoor tables around sunset time would be most preferable.

The restaurant is, however, also open late. Should you find yourself craving a warm bowl of pasta late in the evening you can visit up until 12am. Carbonara to warm the late night soul!

Average cost: €25

Oberkampf: Melt Oberkampf in Â鶹APP

74 Rue de la Folie Méricourt

Melt is one of few slow, smoked barbecue houses in Â鶹APP. As the name suggests, the idea is that the 18 hour smoked meats melt in your mouth upon first bite; and many satisfied customers report that it does just that.

Food is served casually on diner trays and beer is poured on tap. Diners come and go from lunch time through until late in the evening. You really could sit here all day with your book and go virtually unnoticed.

Melt Oberkampf – by Melt Oberkampf –

It’s wonderful to watch people arrive from all over Â鶹APP to enjoy this creative concept. Melt Oberkampf is (obviously) not suitable for vegans and vegetarians, unless you fancy an arm of grilled corn as your entire meal.

If you leave Melt and take a right you’ll find yourself on the corner of the main Oberkampf strip; bars, cafes and live music venues await — you’re out alone already, may as well make the most of it!

Average cost: €15

Belleville: Vieux Belleville in Â鶹APP

12 Rue Envierges

Vieux Belleville is a little French bistro/diner in the heart of the most laid back suburb in Â鶹APP. If you really want to eat somewhere where no one is going to care that you’re alone, Belleville is the spot.

Belleville remains one of the least gentrified areas in Â鶹APP. It is slowly, but surely, putting itself on the map with restaurants such as Vieux and their creative concepts.

This bistro celebrates music; French music to be exact. On weekends you’ll dine here on traditional French food while live musicians entertain the guests.

Vieux Belleville – by Vieux Belleville –

During the week, Vieux also dedicates individual days to the memory of different French musicians who have come and go. Eating here on Edith Piaf night, for example, is a beautiful journey through the artists most famous songs. Even more special when you consider she was actually born and raised in Belleville!

Don’t worry, you wont be forced to sing in front of strangers, though the tables do join in from time to time. Enjoy observing these events from your place in the corner — c’est la vie!

Average cost: €25

Montparnasse: My Noodles in Â鶹APP

129 Boulevard du Montparnasse

Montparnasse is the gem of the south, and My Noodles is the gem of Montparnasse.

This little Chinese eatery serves boiling hot bowls of tasty broth and noodles. Depending on your dietary preferences, you’ll add veggies, meats and sauces that work together in perpetuating the deliciousness. The dumplings and spring rolls are also great!

My Noodles is ideal for vegans and vegetarians. They are happy to make recipe alterations to suit both.

My Noodles – by My Noodles –

These noodle dishes are naturally spicy, be sure to mention if you’re not able to handle the heat so that this too can be adjusted.

All of the tables in My Noodles are small; ideal for single and double diners. The service is also fast; people are seated and served their order within minutes to make way for the next round of customers. Fast paced, quality food for a singles night out.

They say you know a restaurant is good if the people indigenous to the cuisine are dining there; this is the case at My Noodles. Need I mention that most of the dishes are priced under €10?

Average cost: €15

The Latin Quarter: Racina in Â鶹APP

43 Rue Descartes

In addition to thoroughly enjoying solo dining, I also find attending free guided walking tours alone to be quite exhilarating. Exploring new parts of Â鶹APP with a group of absolute strangers who know nothing about me? How fun.

En route through the Latin Quarter I passed by this charming little spot called Racina. A diner seated on the street had a pizza in front of him that I wanted to climb inside of; naturally bubbly crust, scattered blobs of mozzarella and fresh greens for crunch.

Racina – by Racina –

I now venture to the Left Bank regularly to eat at Racina on my own. It’s the kind of place you’re more than happy to.

I quite like that Racina is not a tourist trap like most of the Italian restaurants this side of the Seine. In the Latin Quarter in particular, Italian food is seen as an affordable and desirable dinner cuisine for students who are scraping by month to month. Racina seems to attract more of the locals and families from nearby suburbs.

Average cost: €20

Chinatown: The Chinatown Olympiades in Â鶹APP

44 Avenue d’Ivry

The Chinatown Olympiades is the only giant restaurant that I would advise dining alone in solely so that you can bask in the experience of it all.

Firstly, its so big that solo diners go virtually unnoticed. You’ll see when you have to chase your server just to pay your bill.

Secondly, the Chinatown Olympiades is an institution to this neighborhood in Â鶹APP. The Chinese community began migrating to Â鶹APP in the 70s during the Vietnam war. By the 80s, the south of Â鶹APP was a full fledged Chinatown, the biggest one in Europe at that.

Chinatown Olympiades – by Chinatown Olympiades –

The Olympiades restaurant was opened in 1985 as a communal dining space for Chinese and Cantonese cuisine. It’s an exceptionally low key space, nothing more than seminar chairs and white table cloths to set the scene.

The food is the most authentic Chinese experience you can get this side of the world.

Some evenings there is karaoke or live music in the restaurant itself. A culture shock of note if you don’t speak the language but such fun nonetheless.

Average cost: €25

Invalides: Café des Officiers in Â鶹APP

3 Place de l’École Militaire

There aren’t going to be many moments in life where you can show up at a Â鶹APPian bistro at 1am, enjoy a full, delicious meal and then walk two minutes to the Eiffel Tower to watch the light show on a virtually deserted park field.

This is one of those moments.

Your solo midnight excursion begins at Cafe des Officiers in the southmost part of Invalides. The restaurant closes at 2am daily, late night dining is their specialty.

Caf̩ des Officiers Рby Caf̩ des Officiers РSourced from their website

After a delicious meal of grilled salmon, a beef burger or even just a cup of coffee with a lemon tart, make your way over to the Champ de Mars and find a place to perch as the hour approaches.

The Eiffel Tower light show takes place every hour after dark, on the hour. Its a five minute spectacle, one that is sometimes best viewed in solitude. A moment in the dead of night in Â鶹APP when most of the city is long gone into a different dreamworld. Enjoy.

Average cost: €40

Canal Saint Martin: Siseng in Â鶹APP

82 Quai de Jemmapes

I like eating alone at Siseng because they have a few isolated bar seats that make for the perfect little escape when the streets of Canal Saint Martin are becoming overwhelming.

The restaurant markets itself as Laotian cuisine, however it is more of a fusion spot instead featuring an array of dishes from around Asia.

Their bao bun burgers are what bring in the crowds. They are soft, light and airy, just as good bao should be.

Siseng – by Siseng –

You can expect to wait in line here at the best of times. It’s a highly popular spot but showing up solo should cut your wait quite significantly; as I said there are single dining chairs at the bar.

Beers are served on tap and they offer a range of cocktails as well. Be sure to get a side of the yam fries with your burger, delicious!

Average cost: €15