Do you eat out alone? ???

M0nica your story is very similar mine. From the age of 11 I visited an orthodontist in Richmond, a journey of about 1.5 hours on my own. My treat was lunch in the Wimpy Bar in the town centre. My tastes are a little more sophisticated now!

I’m not averse to eating out on my own at lunchtime but evenings not so much. When I was a lot younger I used to work away from home from time-to-time but often got hassled by men so preferred room service.

I enjoy a nice sandwich, a cup of coffee and a people watching session.

I don't understand this people watching. Doesn't it look odd to sit there staring at people?

Not to mention making other people feel uncomfortable.

Oh you have to be quite sneaky to people watch..

Have a book open, even read a bit of it, look at your phone... then surreptitiously and casually look round.

Yes, no problem at all. Although I'm trying not to, to be sensible with money.

When I was at primary school I used to go home for lunch because I hated the school meals so much. One day a week my mother used to go to see my grandmother so she arranged with the local place think it was called the pantry that I would go there. I always had sausages chips peas with gravy. Utterly delicious I can see it now!
Yes would have lunch out on my own but dinner? Only if I had to mainly because of cost.

The reluctance to eat alone in the evening seems to me less to do with the time of day than with the fact that an evening meal out is more about the event and the conversation than the actual necessity of taking in sustenance.

At lunchtime, people are busier and just there to eat before they carry on with the day's business, and a person doing this on their own wouldn't stand out. But an evening meal is more of a celebration and to be enjoyed in company.

From the age of 11 I have been out on my own. I used to take the bus into Birmingham go to Barrow’s Cafe go to the self service cafe and have an orange squash and a chocolate cake in the shape of a face. Then I would wander round the Toy Department then catch the bus home.

I often go out to lunch on my own, cinema and even theatre. I always have reading material with me and sudoku etc on my iPhone so I’m sorted.

Re your comment Patsy70 that rings a bell with me too from school it is a sign of vanity if you feel embarrassed that people are watching you'.

Yet here we are (well, a lot of us) ... people watching!

Gonegirl yes the idea of does seem a little bizarre. But it’s a solo activity. No one to talk to means you are looking around. What else could you do? Stare into your lap or at your plate constantly? It would be boring just looking at the wallpaper, kitchen area etc so people become the distraction.

I realise I don’t do it at all when I’m out in company!

It had never occurred to me before that singletons are not really welcome in restaurants but now I can see it is true.
The only time I have eaten alone would have been a shopping trip out and a sandwich in M&S or Debenhams etc and there would have been several other women doing the same thing.

No need to feel self conscious eating alone. On the down side I have been given the table nearest the loos and been " forgotten" by the waiter. I've had to find the courage to speak up about these things. If I'm eating on my own in public I just pretend I'm acting in a film: after all, who's really looking at me, and if they are, what does it matter, since they're strangers.

Singletons not welcome in restaurants? In over 60 years of going out and eating alone in about every type of restaurant you can imagine. I have never once felt unwelcome nor had more than my fairshare of bad tables.

I suppose having travelled a lot on my own, for business and pleasure, an evening meal out is no more of an event than lunch or a coffee. I think it is the 'why' of a meal that makes it an event rather than te 'wen' or 'wear'

Gonegirl,people watching has nothing to do with staring at people. It is leaning back and watching the world go by and can be done by yourself or with others. No people watcher, ever stares. You gaze around at people within a background of where you are and the surrounding scenery.

No, I'd not go to a proper restaurant on my own. Greasy Spoon no bother. I keep a thin book in my handbag for just such occasions.

I'll go to a restaurant, cafe etc. but not a pub for dinner (where people seem compelled to try starting conversations if you're alone). Nobody should worry about being stared at by strangers, though. Why does it matter and why care what they think? We're all just anonymous old ladies to most people anyway.

My husband and I eat out quite a lot, mainly breakfast or lunch. If I am left on my own I will not eat in most of the places we go to apart from the supermarket which has a good cafe and the garden centre which has exceptionally high quality of food.

Fortunately our U3A has a great lunch group

My DD wouldn't even eat her sandwiches in the car alone as she is so anxious. I've never been able to get to the bottom of why she is so worried about it but there you go.
I have always been happy to go into a pub, restaurant or anywhere on my own. I take a book but, for some reason, people tend to think that is an invite to enquire whether it a good one and start a conversation.

I do and I love it.