“Table for one, please.”
“Oh just one?”
“Yes, table for one, please.”
I find myself repeating this phrase often, not for lack of dinner company, but mostly because I really love eating out alone. It feels indulgent to me, and liberating, and exactly like I skipped that conversation that usually goes something like this: “Where do you want to go for dinner?” “I dunno, where do you want to go?” “Does your mother hate me?” Silence…. and someone orders takeout.
Because I often travel alone (and have eaten enough room service club sandwiches to last me a lifetime), I’ve grown to LOVE learning about a city through some of their best restaurants… all by myself. It’s like being a stranger in a strange land, leaving surrounding diners not to pity me, but rather assume that I’m Sydney Bistow in the early seasons of Alias. They are correct, I’m part ninja in confidence alone.
I also live in one of the best food cities in the country, and a girl can only eat so many scrambled eggs for dinner at home before enough is enough. What I’ve come to love about dining out in New Orleans is that I now have local knowledge under my belt. That’s handy as a single woman dining alone. It’s nice to know what bars feel cozy to eat at (without too much interruption from gentlemen folk), and which restaurants feel nice to sit at a table solo. Here are some of my favorite restaurants to dine alone in based on my experiences out in New Orleans. If you’re on a visit solo to New Orleans, welcome… get some good grub and always have a Sazerac:
โข Sylvain in the French Quarter is one of my favorite places to grab a solo bite. It’s especially great if you’re visiting town, wandering through the Quarter (it can be pretty dreamy) and looking for a good bite to eat. Some tips: Sylvain opens for dinner at 5:30. I suggest arriving well before 7pm and finding a seat at the bar. The earlier the better as, in my experience, the bar can fill up quickly. The restaurant is cozy and dimly lit with a decent mix of local and tourist patrons. This is a good place to strike up a dinnertime conversation. Also, get the burger.
โข Patois is located in the heart of and Uptown neighborhood. It feels like a very local, heartfelt, comfortable neighborhood place. The food is sincere, generous, and really some of my favorite in the city. Tips: Don’t be afraid to make a reservation for one and sit at a table on your own. This place is comfortable enough. The staff will take good care of you.
โข For breakfast I love Cherry Espresso Bar. It’s a coffee shop Uptown with the best breakfast sandwiches, quinoa bowls, pour over coffee and no ridiculous line out the door for medium-meh diner food.
โข For lunch I love the locally sourced food and very chill vibes at Sneaky Pickle in the Bywater. It’s mostly vegan food with a few meat options and a lot of gluten free too. It’s heart food. Tips: This is an order-at-the-counter spot so cozy up at a small table, bring a good book or magazine, and enjoy the solo quality time.
โข For Southern Cajun food I really love a bite to eat at Cochon in the CBD (Central Business District). They know their way around a pig. My very favorites at Cochon are the wood-fired oysters, the smoked pork rubs, and… the cochon. Tip: ask for a seat at the chef’s bar. You can peek into the kitchen (it’s full of friendly hard-working folks), gaze into the wood-fired oven, and have a good chat with the chefs. Also, order a Sazerac.
โข For a solo happy hour, I recommend a seat at the bar at Peche. Go early. If the weather is nice they may even have the side doors open, which makes a bar seat even more lovely. Order the oysters, definitely get the tuna dip, and a lovely glass of crisp wine. The staff is really lovely and the food is solidly delicious. Tip: Peche is very well-earned after an afternoon visiting all of the art galleries in the Arts District. Here’s your guide to art in and around Julia Street.
โข N7 is a dreamy, romantic restaurant in the Bywater. The restaurant is behind a pretty nondescript, tall wooden fence but as you pass through, it’s like entering a secret garden. There’s seating outdoors, but when I’m alone, my favorite tables are the cozy two tops inside the restaurant. I’ve found there’s no real need for a reservation, head in, make eye contact with a waitress and they’ll usually nod you on to find your own table. The wine list is excellent! Bring a book and feel transformed.
โข Cafe Henri is an easy neighborhood restaurant, also in the Bywater. I like to sneak in just before closing for their Steak Frites which is charred just perfectly and supreme. Staff is mellow. Almost always a place to grab a table or bar seat. Easy and delicious.
Enjoy your dinner. Enjoy your time. Remember, no one belongs here more than you.
62 Responses
Thank you for the recommendations. I got to meet you at the Merchantile this past weekend for the Bakehouse Workshop event. I will use some of these recommendations this week when I get to NOLA. When you have a minute, would you add a few new recommendations? Looks like Cafe Henri is no longer open, but I think it may be Paloma Cafe now- which I’ve tried for breakfast last October and loved.
I wish I had this when I was in town last week! Lucky for me I stumbled on Sylvain and enjoyed a nice pork shoulder and champagne cocktail at the bar. It’s been one of my favorite solo dinners to date!
My SIL just referred your blog to me! I’m a Bywater neighbor!. I also love to eat alone; my favorite places are Who Dat Cafe in the Marigny – such nice folks there! And Polly’s Cafe on St. Claude. Also – the best – Cafe Degas on a lazy afternoon.
Hey Joy – Cafe Henri is now closed! I so want to like Sylvain…I’ve only been once and the food was so unremarkable and the staff so rude that I’ve never been back. Maybe I’ll give it another chance someday. Cane & Table is a fun place to sit at the bar and I like their food a lot! Looking forward to trying Elysian Bar soon.
Thank you for the recommendation of Sylvain. I dined alone at the bar and my experience was everything you described and more. Warm and friendly service and great food.
I have to thank you for the recommendation to try the burger at Slyvain, because Iโm here right now and it is CHANGING MY LIFE. A restaurant that understands a good burger is just bread, meat, and cheese, with some optional condiments and housemade pickles? Heaven. Iโm in New Orleans on my own for the first time for a work conference, and Iโve been having so much fun dining out solo. Everyoneโs been treating me with a pleasant mix of polite conversation and โsheโs doing her, Iโll leave her beโ and itโs perfection. Remembering this place for next time I come here, because I will be back!
I love your perspective on eating alone. Such a great approach to it. Personally, I always feel a bit self-conscious. I really must do better. Thanks for the info.
“Table for one?”
“Yes. I am sufficient.”
We went to N7 on our last trip to NOLA, try to go every other year, and it was amazing. There are so many wonderful restaurants at your finger tips in NOLA; I’m jealous. Another few favorites are La Petite Grocery, Brigtsen’s Restaurant, The Joint, Compรจre Lapin, Shaya and there was a breakfast spot up past the St Roch Market that had a pig on the label that was outstanding too!
Thank you so much for this thoughtful and generous of heart post. New Orleans is sort of sacred to me and so, despite yearning requests from friends, I’ve always opted to travel there alone and have been doing so generally twice a year for the last decade. I find I’m more attentive to the food and music solo and it’s my way of finding personal renewal. In all those years, I’ve never come across a post about travelling to the city and eating alone. Grateful as always for your openness and warmth, Joy.
Thanks for this list! I am from southern California as well but connect with Louisiana via my grandparents, who were both born there. I have visited a few times but am literally always keeping a list of my next dining destinations for future trips. It’s great to have some local insight to draw from.
Joy! Why would you blog about N7?! You’re breaking my heart! We’ve just lost Bacchanal to crowds of tourists in the last few years and are still grieving! Sure, N7 is no substitute, but it’s been nice to have another option. Please be considerate to locals in your recommendations!!! We need our local sanctuaries come tourist season!
We have a bounty. We have more than we need. Also, talk to Bon Appetit is you want to keep things hush hush.
I just left the chef’s bar at Cochon and I loved the wood-fired oysters and the smoked pork ribs. I don’t even like oysters, but I could have had them put that sauce in a glass and I would drink it right up! I walked by the Peche and they were hopping. Thanks for your suggestions. I travel alone for work, so it is nice to have some suggestions.
That makes me really happy Tee!
What a great article. I like your confidence. It’s always good to know ahead about great places when you’re visiting another city. If I have to attend another city with work colleagues I rather like to get out and about on my own at least once during my visit. Good to know where the best spots are. Thanks for sharing.
I love this post! I’m always eating out by myself when I travel alone and I still haven’t quite accommodated myself to the double take and the question mark at the end of “table for….one?” It makes such a difference when the restaurant is cozy and the staff is friendly and nobody treats a woman eating alone like a sideshow. Thanks Joy! Now we just need you to visit every major American city and report back :)
I’ll happily work on that for you!
Hi Joy – my 18 yr old daughter and I are considering coming to New Orleans in March for a girlsโ Spring Break. I am looking at Airbnb โ what would be a fun neighborhood with things to walk to? Anything we shouldnโt miss? Thanks!
It seems this is the perfect place for me to seat and think about my next blog article…Nice sharing. Thanks a lot!!!
Love this list. I too travel for work, and I’ve also eaten more than my fair share of room service club sandwiches. If you were ever to think of writing a book on this topic, for different cities, I would be ordering it right up, and I guess my fellow solo diners would too. Thanks for a great website!
Gosh, I love Cochon!
I LOVE eating alone, too! When I lived outside San Francisco, I took myself out to dinner every Sunday night–even when I had a boyfriend, and definitely when I didn’t. It just feels SO good. Sometimes, the waiter rushes you through dinner because they feel sorry for you, but I just smile and be happy. Plus, I don’t have to share dessert :)
You recommended Sylvain on a previous post so friends and I went we visited NOLA last year. It was our favorite meal! Thank you!
You are most brave. I have never been one to eat out along at a fancy restaurant. Sure, I can sit in Subway and eat a sandwich along, but a proper restaurant (even a chain)…nope. So…channeling my inner brave girl, I decided to have tea and scones at my favorite place in Savannah recently. It was nothing short of awkward, but it wasn’t so awful either. I think I’m adding dining alone to my list of “must conquer” this year!
You can do it. You really can.
Love this! Even if I am only traveling/eating through your words. Recently read a fabulous and classic essay on this subject, Dining Alone by Mary Cantwell, which I read in an anthology of writing from Gourmet magazine called Endless Feasts.
I am often in New Orleans alone for work. Thank you so much for this list. I always feel like I am taking up a table that could be filled with 4 drunk tourists.
No way! Do you!
Breads on Oak in the Carrollton neighborhood is great for breakfast or lunch and you are just as welcome solo as with a group. It is a bakery but the sandwiches and soups are fabulous. Since this is Carnival season, I also think there king cake is the best in town. Try the almond cream or bourbon tiramisu flavors.
I have also gone to Gus’ po boys in Uptown solo. You will probably end up with people asking to sit with you because there are just a few tables but, as long as you are comfortable with that, you will be just fine.
Midway Pizza on Freret is also a good place to dine alone and they have the best salads in town.
Sidney Bistow, heck yes! You’re a ninja in the kitchen, as well as in confidence
For me it’s Merchant coffee for breakfast/brunch and lunch or dinner at Coop’s Place. LOVE the feel of Coop’s. There really is something magical about New Orleans. You’ve got me itching to go back and try some of these spots.
Sounds lovely!
More than anything you’ve written about New Orleans, this makes me want to come visit.
One of my favorite aspects of eating alone is that I enjoy my food so much more. I can really appreciate the flavor and texture of each bite. When I am with friends, my attention is on the conversation and the company, which is also great, but nothing beats the almost the almost meditative experience of dining alone at a restaurant.
That’s right get up and get out or sit home abd pout
Joy, Thanks so much. I have had some great meals (and conversations) as a solo diner. At many places, eating at the bar is great. The bar tender is happy knowing they will get a dinner sized tip, and can sometimes be a great person to talk to, and to keep gentlemen callers at a distance if you would like that. And if you are in a strange city, it is a great place to get a feel of the community.
N7 sounds like my ideal restaurant!
I need to dine alone more and this is so inspiring. I love Cherry Espresso and that is one of the few places I go alone. i went when it first opened an I was the only person in there! I also love going to the original St. James Cheese Company for a salad, glass of rose and alone time.
I was in New Orleans two summers ago as a wedding guest and the Friday before the wedding all the bridal party was busy, which meant I could explore the city (i.e. EAT! Drink! Brunch!) alone. I wandered into the Ruby Slipper and ordered a coffee, a bloody mary, orange juice, and ordered a gulf shrimp omelette. all delicious. when I finished I ordered another Bloody Mary to go, and strolled the streets in utter bliss. New Orleans <3
When I travelled through the Greek islands by myself it was so liberating to dine alone. At first slightly intimidating, but I quickly realized that when you open your heart and soul to the freedom of solo travel and all that comes with it, the people and experiences that come into your life will forever change you. A stranger can turn into a friend to go on adventures with, a waiter who takes you out to meet his friends for a night of dancing. Magic! As a woman who was privileged enough to do a month of solo travel I highly recommend it to anyone looking to discover a sense of self confidence, self worth and self love!
Preach it!
We lived in Metairie while my husband was at Tulane in grad school. One of the best things we would do with friends was get a snow cone at one of those local places that had been there forever. You get get any flavor you could dream up & add Hershey choclate syrup or soft serve on top. Did any of these places survive Katrina? A friend whose family had been there for generations told me about this summer tradition it was something special to share.
Love your blog especially the Sunday posts and wisdom you share.
Any other vegan friendly options? Not necessarily solo.
Love this! Even more because of the Alias reference <3
Love this , it is such a great list of restaurants and ideal spots to have a great meal and be able to enjoy it also.
Sounds lovely! I also really enjoy taking myself to dinner, with a book and a glass of wine – pretty perfect. This makes me want to have a weekend to myself in New Orleans. (And Sydney Bristow is the queen!)
I always enjoy eating out alone especially in new cities. I will enjoy it even more now that I know I am actually Sidney Bristow. You are full of the best truths, Joy.
I love this, although I really never get to dine out alone in New Orleans – I went to grad school there and am always trying to squeeze in meals with as many people as possible. Next up, a guide for where to get great food with a big group?? :-)
I rather enjoyed this! When I was younger, I frequently took myself out for a nice meal, and always enjoyed the time. These days, I find myself in the company of others and love that, but, I may need to take time for myself, again. <3
What a wonderful way to experience not only the food but the ambiance in the restaurant and the surrounding area. I have never been to New Orleans and have always wanted to go, this makes my incentive even better now that I have some places that I know will be wonderful!!
I also adore grabbing a cheese board and a glass of wine at St. James Cheese. I often accompany my husband to town as he works. I bring a book and spend the afternoon nibbling, sipping and reading. Cochon and Sylvain are always on our must visit. I need to visit Cherry Street, that’s the second mention in a few days I’ve seen.
It’s actually Cherry Espresso Bar on the corner of Laurel Street and Upperline and you should definitely go! It is the best coffee around. :)
I love this post. My friend once asked for a table for one in the afternoon at a restaurant/bar and the hostess replied “Aww, I’m sorry.” Also, love your recommendations as New Orleans is my second home and the city I love most in the world. I’ll be bookmarking this one for sure.
Thank you so much for including Sneaky Pickle in your list! I love that place no matter who I’m eating with and it never gets written about as much as some of the flashier places.
I moved into the area a year ago and I can’t remember how I found your blog, but I love it!! It is so full of good information about things to do and see!! Thank you!!!
I travel for work and eat out alone all the time! I love this write up, thank you. I make a list of restaurants I want to try in cities I frequent. I have added your suggestions. Feel free to write more like this, I love it!
Thanks! I often go to N.O, for conferences and am always looking for a great place to grab a bite when I have time to wander about the city. :)
Why is it that women dining alone are always queried as to “table for ONE??”? YEAH, get over it! You have food, I’m hungry and I can pay for it myself. Sheesh!
This is such a lovely write-up. Thanks for writing about going out to dinner as a party of one… it’s something, in my experience, that terrifies a lot of people. But it can be SUCH a delight. And also a good way, if you find the right restaurant, to make friends with the bartender or the locals who might sit down next to you.
Cheers :)
Thanks for letting me travel with you.it is fun to listen to you talk about where you live an travel too.some places I may never get too.but because of the way you talk about it I leave like I have been there thankyou.have a great new year.
I hope to get back to New Orleans, and this will be useful. You’re right about dining alone–just do it! It can be a great way to be mindful about eating, and that makes the experience even better.
Wonderful – thanks a lot ????