# Eating alone: experiences for solo travellers

- Page: https://viaggisingle.it/en/experiences/eating-alone/
- Language: en
- Status: in editorial review: checked against sources, not yet signed off by an editor
- Publisher: ViaggiSingle (https://viaggisingle.it)
- Citation: credit “ViaggiSingle” with a link to the page

## [Amsterdam](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/netherlands/amsterdam.md)

- **Foodhallen**: A covered food hall in a former tram depot with 19 stalls. Pick a plate and sit at the shared tables. Open daily from noon to 11pm. (Daily 12-11pm; Oud-West)
- **Albert Cuypmarkt**: De Pijp's street market, trading since 1905. Eating standing at a stall is the simplest solo lunch in town. Closed on Sundays. (Monday to Saturday, Monday 9.30am-5pm; De Pijp)
- **Lunchroom Downtown**: LGBTQ+-friendly lunch spot on Reguliersdwarsstraat, good for a solo bite while watching the street. (Reguliersdwarsstraat)

## [Bangkok](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/asia/thailand/bangkok.md)

- **Bib Gourmand street food stalls**: Michelin gives three street food stalls a Bib Gourmand, including K. Panich and Bunloet, all in the cheapest price band. Quick, informal, and full of people eating alone. (฿ band)
- **Bib Gourmand noodle and one-dish places**: Pad Thai Fai Ta Lu in Phra Nakhon, Gim Nguan Noodle and Urai Braised Goose are on the Bib Gourmand list in the lowest price band. One plate, small tables, no awkwardness. (฿ band)
- **The 100-baht meal**: Numbeo users put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at about 100 baht, a little over £2. It's the basis of most solo dinners here. (100 THB)

## [Barcelona](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/spain/barcelona.md)

- **La Boqueria**: The market on the Rambla, open Monday to Saturday 8am to 8.30pm. Eat at the counters with no booking, but keep an eye on your bag. (Mon-Sat 8am-8.30pm; La Rambla 89)
- **Mercat de Santa Caterina**: Less touristy than La Boqueria, near the Born. From September to June open Mon/Wed/Sat 7.30am-2.30pm and Tue/Thu/Fri until 8.30pm. (Av. Francesc Cambó 16)
- **Mercat de Sant Antoni**: A neighbourhood market between Sant Antoni and the Raval, open Monday to Saturday 8am to 8.30pm. (Carrer del Comte d'Urgell 1)

## [Berlin](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/germany/berlin.md)

- **Markthalle Neun**: Covered market with stalls and shared tables. Street Food Thursday is the night you are most likely to end up chatting to the person next to you. Closed on Sundays. (Mon-Wed and Fri-Sat 8am-8pm, Thu 8am-10pm, street food Thu 5pm-10pm; Eisenbahnstraße 42/43, Kreuzberg)
- **Curry 36, Mehringdamm**: Started in 1980 in a doorway barely more than a metre wide. You eat standing at the counter, which suits a table for one perfectly. (Mehringdamm 36, Kreuzberg)
- **Konnopke's Imbiss**: Under the U2 viaduct since 1930, and the first stand to sell currywurst in East Berlin. Paper plate, five minutes, no awkwardness. (Schönhauser Allee, Prenzlauer Berg)

## [Bologna](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/italy/bologna.md)

- **Mercato delle Erbe**: Market stalls from 7:00 to 19:30, with the food hall open for lunch (12:00-15:30) and dinner (18:00-24:00). Some stalls close for holidays in summer. (Via Ugo Bassi 23)
- **Ostello Bello's kitchen**: Guests have a shared kitchen at all times, with free pasta plus fruit and vegetables. Cooking alongside others is the cheapest way not to dine alone. (Via del Porto 6; Free for guests)
- **Breakfast at Dopa**: Breakfast is included, and in a hostel without events it is when people talk. (Via Irnerio 41)
- **A benchmark bill**: Numbeo users put a cheap meal at 20 euros and a cappuccino at 2. Lunch at the market and dinner at the hostel bring the budget down sharply. (20 EUR)

## [Budapest](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/hungary/budapest.md)

- **Taco night at Maverick Central Market**: Tuesdays from 18:00 to 21:00, 5,000 forints. You eat with the other guests, which makes it the easiest dinner table in town on your first night. (Tuesday 18:00-21:00; Lónyay utca 31, District IX; 5,000 HUF)
- **Great Market Hall (Központi Vásárcsarnok)**: Upstairs there are food stalls where you eat standing or at the counter. Nobody looks twice at a table for one. Aim for lunchtime. (District IX)
- **Why Not Café by day**: Specialty coffee and sandwiches from 10:00. A riverside table where you can read alone without being moved on. (Daily from 10:00; Belgrád rakpart 3-4)
- **A benchmark bill**: Numbeo users put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at around 4,500 forints (about £10) and a half-litre of beer at 1,200. If your bill lands far above that for no clear reason, ask for an explanation. (4,500 HUF)

## [Buenos Aires](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/americas/argentina/buenos-aires.md)

- **Café Tortoni**: The city's oldest café, opened in 1858 on Avenida de Mayo. A small table and a coffee on your own is exactly the point. (Avenida de Mayo 825)
- **The Thursday hostel asado**: If a parrilla for one feels awkward, Milhouse's Thursday asado is a long table already set with new people. (Thursdays; Milhouse, Avenida de Mayo)
- **Lunch at an inexpensive restaurant**: Numbeo users put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at about 27,800 pesos, around 18 dollars or 13.50 pounds. With inflation at 33.5 per cent a year, expect that peso figure to move within months. (About ARS 27,800 (Numbeo, October 2026))

## [Cape Town](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/africa/south-africa/cape-town.md)

- **Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill**: Food stalls and shared tables on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am. The easiest solo lunch in town. (373-375 Albert Road, Woodstock)
- **The hostel braai**: Never At Home Kloof Street's Bring n' Braai and the courtyard braais at Long Street Backpackers: bring your own meat or veg and eat with the other guests.
- **Lunch at an inexpensive restaurant**: Numbeo users put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at about 200 rand, roughly 9 pounds or 12 dollars. Eating out at lunch rather than dinner also solves the getting-home-after-dark problem. (About ZAR 200 (Numbeo))

## [Chiang Mai](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/asia/thailand/chiang-mai.md)

- **Khao Soi Mae Sai**: The khao soi on Michelin's Bib Gourmand list, in the cheapest price band. Curry noodle soup, eaten quickly, often alone. (฿ band)
- **Roti Pa Day, Tha Phae Road**: A Bib Gourmand street food stall on the road running from the old city towards the river. (฿ band)
- **Lung Khajohn Wat Ket and other Bib Gourmand stalls**: Michelin lists 18 Bib Gourmand places in Chiang Mai, including street stalls such as Lung Khajohn Wat Ket and Tue Ka Ko Na Prince. The simplest way to eat alone without thinking about it. (฿ band)
- **The 75-baht meal**: Numbeo users put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at around 75 baht, about £1.70. (75 THB)

## [Copenhagen](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/denmark/copenhagen.md)

- **TorvehallerneKBH**: Covered food market where you eat at the counter or standing. Coffee and pastries from 7am. (Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm; Frederiksborggade 21, by Nørreport)
- **Reffen**: Harbourside street food on Refshaleøen with kitchens from all over the world and shared tables. Open every day in October. (Refshaleøen)
- **Oscar Bar & Cafe**: Gay bar and café beside City Hall on Rainbow Square, an easy place for a solo bite. (Rådhuspladsen)

## [Dublin](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/ireland/dublin.md)

- **Moore Street Market**: A traditional open-air market with fruit stalls and traders calling out their deals. At weekends there is also a pop-up with extra food stalls. (Moore Street, north inner city)
- **Irish Village Markets**: Pop-up lunchtime street-food markets around the city, from poké to paella. Check their website for that day's location.
- **Dún Laoghaire CoCo Market**: Every Sunday, a DART ride from the centre, hot food stalls and baking by the LexIcon library. (Sundays 10am-4pm; Dún Laoghaire)

## [Edinburgh](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/edinburgh.md)

- **Edinburgh Farmers' Market**: A Saturday market below the castle walls with food stalls you can eat at standing. (Saturdays 9am-2pm; Castle Terrace)
- **Stockbridge Market**: A Sunday market with bread and cheese, crêpes and hot drinks. (Sundays 10am-4pm; Saunders Street, Stockbridge)
- **Leith Market**: A Saturday market by the port with food stalls, and a vegan section on the first Saturday of the month. (Saturdays 10am-4pm; Dock Place, Leith)

## [Hanoi](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/asia/vietnam/hanoi.md)

- **Phở Gia Truyền (Hoàn Kiếm)**: A Bib Gourmand phở counter. You eat a bowl and free the seat, so solo is the default.
- **Bun Cha Ta and Tuyết Bún Chả 34**: Two Bib Gourmand bún chả places, the first on Nguyễn Hữu Huân. One dish; pointing works.
- **Bánh Cuốn Gia Truyền Thanh Vân (Hàng Gà)**: Steamed rice rolls on the Bib Gourmand list. A quick breakfast or lunch in the Old Quarter.
- **The 52,500-dong meal**: Numbeo users' average for a meal at an inexpensive restaurant, about £1.50. Most solo dinners start here. (52,500 VND)

## [Lisbon](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/portugal/lisbon.md)

- **Time Out Market Lisboa**: Counters and shared tables inside Mercado da Ribeira. Open until midnight Sunday to Wednesday and until 2am Thursday to Saturday, so it works for a late dinner too. (Sun-Wed 10am-midnight, Thu-Sat 10am-2am; Avenida 24 de Julho, Cais do Sodré)
- **Hostel group dinners**: At Goodmorning and Home Lisbon, dinner is when you meet the other guests. If eating alone is the part you dread, book those for your first two nights. (Baixa and Restauradores)
- **Cheap lunch prices**: Numbeo users put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at 15 euros, in a range of 11 to 20, and half a litre of beer at 3 euros. These are crowd-sourced averages, not menu prices. (About 15 euros)

## [Ljubljana](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/slovenia/ljubljana.md)

- **Open Kitchen on Pogačarjev trg**: Fridays from March to November, weather permitting. Order at whichever stall you like and sit at the shared tables. It is listed for 30 October 2026, 10:00 to 21:00. (Friday 10:00-21:00; Pogačarjev trg)
- **Hostel Celica bar**: Open 07:00 to 23:00, also to non-guests. A quiet spot in Metelkova to eat on your own. (07:00-23:00; Metelkova 8)
- **Central Market**: Where the Yummy Market Walk starts. Without the tour, it is still the simplest place for a quick lunch alone.
- **A benchmark bill**: Numbeo users put a cheap meal at 14 euros, a half-litre of beer at 3.50 and a cappuccino at 2.61. (14 EUR)

## [Madrid](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/spain/madrid.md)

- **Mercado de San Miguel**: Tapas counters and standing tables, eat at the bar with no booking. Open until midnight Sunday to Thursday and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. (Sun-Thu 10am-midnight, Fri-Sat 10am-1am; Plaza de San Miguel)
- **Mercado de Antón Martín**: A neighbourhood market with food stalls open from 12.30pm to 11.30pm, less touristy than San Miguel. (Mon-Sat, food stalls 12.30pm-11.30pm; Calle Santa Isabel 5)
- **Tapas at the bar, any time**: The tourist board says tapas work at any time of day and that locals rarely have dinner after 11pm. Order at the counter and you will not be the only one alone.

## [Mexico City](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/americas/mexico/mexico-city.md)

- **Tacos at Taquería Orinoco**: Trompo or chicharrón tacos, from a chain with branches in Mexico City and Monterrey. Quick food where nobody notices you are alone. (Avenida Álvaro Obregón 100, Roma Norte)
- **Lunch at a fonda or cheap restaurant**: Numbeo users put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at about 200 pesos, around 8 pounds or 11 dollars. (About MXN 200 (Numbeo))
- **Kuxan Condesa's food tour**: If eating street food alone feels awkward at first, the hostel food tour fixes it. Taste in a group, then go back alone to the places you liked. (Condesa)

## [Milan](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/italy/milan.md)

- **Mercato Centrale Milano**: Inside Centrale station, 32 food stalls on two floors, open daily 06:30 to 23:00. Grab a plate, sit wherever there's space. (06:30-23:00; Via Sammartini, Piazza Quattro Novembre)
- **Luini**: A bakery near the Duomo since 1888, the kind of place you eat standing up or walking. (Monday-Saturday 10:00-20:00; Via Santa Radegonda 16)
- **Spontini**: Pizza by the slice since 1953, now more than 30 branches. A regular slice weighs just over 300 g, which is dinner. (Original site at Corso Lodi 12)
- **Aperitivo as dinner**: In the Navigli and Porta Venezia, aperitivo hour is when sitting alone at the bar feels completely normal. The Friday Meetup gives a price benchmark of €11 with the first drink.

## [Montréal](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/americas/canada/montreal.md)

- **Jean-Talon Market**: One of the biggest markets in North America, open all year. Alongside the growers and cheesemongers there are counters where you can eat standing up. (Mon-Sat 8am-6pm, Sun 8am-5pm; 7070 avenue Henri-Julien, Jean-Talon metro)
- **St-Viateur Bagel**: The Mile End bakery is open every day from 6am to midnight. You order at the counter and eat as you walk. (263 rue Saint-Viateur Ouest, Mile End)
- **Schwartz's**: Smoked meat since 1928 on boulevard Saint-Laurent. Tables are tight and often shared, so a party of one gets seated fast. (3895 boulevard Saint-Laurent, Plateau)
- **Poutine at La Banquise**: Open 24 hours with more than 28 kinds of poutine. It is where people end up at 4am after the Village. (Plateau-Mont-Royal)
- **Lunch at Jean-Talon Market**: Market counters and ready-food stalls are the easiest solo lunch. Numbeo users put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at about CAD 26.50, roughly 14 pounds; the market can come in under that. (Little Italy; Around CAD 26.50 (Numbeo))

## [Naples](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/italy/naples.md)

- **Hostel cooking class**: Ostello Bello holds a weekly cooking class. You learn a dish and eat it with the people who made it.
- **L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele**: On Via Cesare Sersale since 1870, with just four pizzas on the menu. The pizzeria describes the long wait as a ritual, so go with time to spare. (Via Cesare Sersale 1)
- **Sorbillo and Zia Esterina's fried pizza**: The original pizzeria is on Via dei Tribunali. To eat standing up, Zia Esterina Sorbillo's fried pizza has outlets around the city. (Via dei Tribunali)
- **Ostello Bello kitchen and rooftop**: A weekly cooking class and a rooftop where you eat with other guests. (Via dei Fiorentini 10)
- **A benchmark bill**: Numbeo users put a cheap meal at 15 euros (about £12.50), a half-litre of beer at 5 and a cappuccino at 2.07. (15 EUR)

## [New York](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/americas/united-states/new-york.md)

- **Chelsea Market**: Indoor market open 7am to 10pm, from morning coffee to dinner: seafood at Lobster Place, Korean food at Mokbar, bread at Amy's Bread. (75 9th Ave, Chelsea) https://www.chelseamarket.com/
- **Smorgasburg**: Open-air street food market: Saturdays in Williamsburg (Marsha P. Johnson State Park, 90 Kent Ave) and Sundays in Prospect Park, 11am to 6pm. The Manhattan markets are closed for the season. (Saturday and Sunday, 11am-6pm; Brooklyn) https://www.smorgasburg.com/new-york
- **Ichiran**: The Japanese ramen chain with single-diner booths has three New York branches: 374 Johnson Ave in Brooklyn, 132 W 31st St in Midtown and 152 W 49th St by Times Square. (Brooklyn, Midtown, Times Square) https://ichiranusa.com/

## [Palermo](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/italy/palermo.md)

- **Antica Focacceria San Francesco**: Two central addresses, the counter on Via Maqueda 298 and the restaurant on Via Paternostro 58. At the counter, eating fast and alone is normal. (Via Maqueda 298)
- **Ke Palle**: Arancine at Via Maqueda 270, to eat standing up or on the walk to the Quattro Canti. (Via Maqueda 270)
- **Street food tour as dinner**: The 18:30 slot of the street food tour doubles as dinner in company, for €30. (18:30; €30)

## [Porto](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/portugal/porto.md)

- **Tasting at Taylor's**: Cellar visit with an audio guide in 13 languages and three wines to taste. Cellar open daily 10am to 6.15pm, tasting room until 7.30pm. (Rua do Choupelo 250, Gaia)
- **Mercado do Bolhão**: The market opens Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm and Saturday until 6pm, closed Sunday. You buy and eat standing at the stalls, no table to book. (Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat 8am-6pm; Baixa)
- **Bolhão restaurants in the evening**: The restaurants inside the market stay open Monday to Saturday from 8am to midnight, handy for a solo dinner once the stalls shut. (Mon-Sat 8am-midnight)
- **Taylor's tasting room**: A seated glass on your own, looking over the river. Open daily until 7.30pm. (Rua do Choupelo 250, Gaia)
- **What a cheap meal costs**: Numbeo users put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at 12 euros and half a litre of beer at 3. Crowd-sourced averages, not menu prices. (About 12 euros)

## [Prague](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/czechia/prague.md)

- **Lokál Dlouhááá**: The chain's longest bar, almost seventy metres, and Czech food. Alone, you can eat at the bar without a booking. (Dlouhá 33; Numbeo puts a cheap meal in Prague at 230 CZK, about £8)
- **Lokál Korunní**: The same formula in Vinohrady, handy if you are staying that side. Open from 11:00 (12:00 at weekends) until 23:30. (Korunní 39, Prague 2)
- **Manifesto Market Anděl**: Street food market with separate stalls. Everyone orders for themselves and sits wherever there is room. (Anděl)
- **Christmas markets**: From late November you eat standing at the stalls on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, the easiest winter dinner for one. (28/11/2026-6/1/2027)

## [Reykjavík](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/iceland/reykjavik.md)

- **Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur**: The Tryggvagata hot dog stand, open since 1937. Two minutes standing at the counter, and the cheapest meal in the centre. (Sunday-Wednesday 9am-1am; Tryggvagata)
- **Grandi Mathöll**: A food hall in the Grandi harbour area with several stalls and shared tables. (Daily 11am-9pm; Grandi, old harbour)
- **Café-bar at Dalur HI Hostel**: Coffee, Icelandic craft beer and communal spaces designed for meeting other travellers, next to Laugardalslaug. (Sundlaugavegur 34)

## [Taipei](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/asia/taiwan/taipei.md)

- **Raohe Street Night Market**: About 600 metres of stalls in a line, 95 metres from Songshan station. You eat walking or standing, which is exactly right when you're on your own. (Raohe St., Songshan) https://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002016&id=R177
- **Shilin Night Market**: About 300 metres from Jiantan station. Shilin sausage, giant fried chicken, the big pancake wrapped round a small one, and a food court. (Shilin, Jiantan MRT) https://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002016&id=154
- **24-hour convenience stores**: Most open around the clock, some 7am to 11pm. Your fallback after 10pm, when restaurants have stopped serving dinner.
- **Fox Picnic**: Restaurant listed as LGBTQ-friendly by the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline. (No. 22, Lane 281, Longjiang Rd., Zhongshan)

## [Tallinn](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/estonia/tallinn.md)

- **Balti Jaama Turg street food**: Order at the counter and sit wherever there is space. The cheapest way to lunch alone in Tallinn. (Mon-Sat 09:00-20:00, Sun 09:00-18:00; Kopli 1)
- **Fotografiska café**: Coffee, pastries and lunches on the ground floor. A table to sit alone at between exhibitions. (Telliskivi 60a-8)
- **A benchmark bill**: Numbeo users put a cheap meal at 15 euros (about £12.50) and a cappuccino at 3.89. Lunch at the market and save restaurant dinners for the nights that matter. (15 EUR)

## [Tokyo](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/asia/japan/tokyo.md)

- **Ichiran ramen booths**: You sit in a booth with partitions on either side and a blind in front, tick seven options on an English order form (broth, richness, garlic, spice and so on) and your bowl slides under the blind. Ten Tokyo-area branches run 24 hours, including Shibuya, Shinjuku Kabukicho and Ueno. (24 hours at Shibuya, Shinjuku Kabukicho, Ueno, Shimbashi, Ikebukuro; Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ueno and others) https://en.ichiran.com/shop/hourstable.html
- **Omoide Yokocho**: About 80 narrow places by Shinjuku station, 60 of them grilling yakitori and offal. The official site suggests hopping between two or three in one night. Hours and menus change without notice. (Shinjuku, west side) https://shinjuku-omoide.com/english/
- **Tsukiji Outer Market**: Sushi counters, sashimi bowls and coffee. Some wholesalers sell ready-to-eat sushi in small portions, and there are bite-sized tastes of rolled omelette: ideal if you're alone and want to try a bit of everything. (Tsukiji, Chuo) https://www.tsukiji.or.jp/english/
- **Golden Gai counters**: Five or six stools, no tables. For a light bite and a drink alone, it's the most natural format in the city. (Shinjuku)

## [Valencia](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/spain/valencia.md)

- **Mercado Central**: More than 250 stalls, including Ricard Camarena's Central Bar, where you eat at the counter. Monday to Saturday 7.30am to 3pm. (Mon-Sat 7.30am-3pm; Plaça Ciutat de Bruges)
- **Horchata at Mercado de Colón**: Inside the market is Horchatería Daniel, for horchata with fartons. Open daily until late, 2am Sunday to Thursday and 3am on Fridays and Saturdays. (Sun-Thu 7.30am-2am, Fri-Sat 7.30am-3am; Mercado de Colón)
- **Cabanyal market**: The fishermen's quarter market, 150 stalls, close to the beach. (El Cabanyal)
- **What a cheap meal costs**: Numbeo users put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at 17 euros and a cappuccino at 2.41. Crowd-sourced averages. (About 17 euros)

## [Valletta](https://viaggisingle.it/en/destinations/europe/malta/valletta.md)

- **Is-Suq tal-Belt**: Valletta's old covered market, now food stalls from several cuisines, a central bar and a supermarket downstairs. Food court open daily 11am to 10pm. (Daily 11am-10pm; Triq il-Merkanti)
- **Hostel breakfast**: Follow the Sun in St Julian's includes breakfast, the easiest moment to sit down next to someone. (St Julian's)
- **What eating out costs**: Numbeo users put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at 20 euros, half a litre of beer at 5 and a cappuccino at 2.84. Higher than Lisbon or Porto. (About 20 euros)