Lunch for one, what could be better than bread and wine?
Eating alone in a restaurant can feel daunting at first.
That moment at the door.
The walk to the table.
The feeling that everyone is wondering why you're alone, and for a lot of women, it's the one thing that stops them from travelling solo at all.
But in Italy, it can quickly become one of the best parts of the day… It's definitely mine.
And it all starts with four little words. Un tavolo per uno, per favore. A table for one, please. Say it clearly, with a smile, like someone who has chosen to dine alone and is really looking forward to it.
Because you have.
And you are.
Four little crostini, one very happy table for one.
Settle In With a Little Italian
Try a bit of Italian with the person serving you… it doesn't need to be perfect. A grazie mille, a buonissimo when the food arrives, and when you leave somewhere you've loved, a warm a presto, see you soon.
It turns the whole thing from awkward into friendly, and Italians almost always meet you halfway. If you'd like a few more phrases up your sleeve, a little Italian goes a very long way.
And here's what you realise after a meal or two.
Nobody is really looking at you.
People are busy with their own food, their own conversations and, quite often, their own phones 🤣.
Which leaves you free to relax into yours.
Breakfast for one.
Create Your Own Little Ritual
Solo dining gets so much easier when you treat it as a ritual rather than something to get through.
Find a place you like the look of.
Choose a seat where you can watch the world go by.
Then take your time.
Order the starter. Have the second glass. Nobody is waiting for you to finish.
Some of the best things I've eaten in Italy have been the simplest, and I've enjoyed them all on my own. A hot porchetta focaccia on the steps in San Gimignano. The paposcia at Moro's in Peschici, which I'm still thinking about now, and I think I will be forever!
But the one I always come back to is an afternoon at Libreria Sopra la Penna, a little bookshop perched high in the Tuscan mountains. Tea and biscuits, wildflowers and butterflies, and a view that went on forever. I sat there on my own for a good few hours, and for once, everything made perfect sense.
Of course, it doesn't always feel that easy straight away. If you're a little self-conscious at first, a podcast in one ear can help ease you in. It feels familiar, like bringing a bit of home along with you.
Or bring a notebook.
Write about your day, sketch the view, or plan what you fancy doing tomorrow.
By the time the pasta arrives, you'll feel completely at home.
What to expect when you eat out in Italy
The coperto. Many restaurants add a small cover charge per person for bread and the table. It's completely normal, not a tourist trap.
Water. You'll usually be asked if you'd like naturale (still) or frizzante (sparkling). Tap water isn't automatically offered.
Lunch is your friend. It's often more relaxed than dinner, and many places have good-value lunch menus.
Dinner starts late. Many restaurants don't open until 7.30pm or later, and locals often eat later still.
The bill won't just appear. Taking your time is expected, so ask for il conto, per favore when you're ready.
Tipping isn't expected in the way it is in some countries. Rounding up or leaving a little change is a kind gesture if the service was lovely.
Let It All Sink In
Once you settle into it, eating alone becomes something to look forward to.
Without a conversation to keep up, you start to notice everything.
The earthy smell of truffle as a plate goes past. Good olive oil soaking into warm bread. The gentle hum of conversation around you, waiters weaving between the tables, people coming and going through the door.
Rather than making you feel on show, it wraps around you, and before long you're sinking into your surroundings and simply enjoying your food.
There's no rush, and no need to fill a silence. Just you, a plate of something wonderful, and as long as you like to enjoy it.
It's a different kind of experience. Often, a deeper one.
Lunch under the trees, with a view worth lingering over.
Start With One Meal
Dining alone in Italy isn't something to fear.
It's something to embrace, and it might just become the part of your trip you love the most.
So start with one solo meal and see how it feels.
A long lunch, a quiet dinner, a glass of something on a terrace. I think it might surprise you.
Baci,
Beara x