Dining Alone

Jean Oshima
2 min readApr 27, 2018

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These 5 Reasons for Dining Alone, were snagged from an article by Natasha Noman at Mic Network. You can read it in its entirety here:

1. You will eat at your own pace.

2. You’ll get some time to yourself.

3. It’ll be a heightened sensory experience.

4. You might make new friends.

5. The company’s guaranteed to be great.

Spending the majority of my adult life dining alone I have found there to be many benefits that I believe you can only realize by experiencing them. I’ve talked with many people over the years that have told me they cannot and/or will not dine out by themselves. Even more won’t travel by themselves. To each his own but I personally give a 5 Heart Rating to doing things alone, including dining.

One of the best experiences I have ever had dining was with friends. Another one of the best experiences I have had was when I dined alone. I do not recall how I found the wonderful Italian restaurant about 15 years ago in Boston but I did and I am so glad I did! I wish I had taken note of the name of the restaurant. Very un-5 Heart Rating of me don’t you think?

When I walked in the door I was greeted with thick Italian accents and some bewilderment at the fact that I was a party of one. The gentlemen especially made such a big deal out of it. I had about 5 people waiting on me and the owner brought complimentary foods and Prosecco and dessert to me. The food was fantastic! Some of the best Italian I have ever had.

Meanwhile, as I am enjoying the best table in the place right next to a window I watched THE most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. It was a magical experience all the way around.

I’ve had many great experiences dining alone at the bar. I’ve met great people and have been taken great care of by the bartenders and had wonderful engaging conversations. Even years later I am still friends with some of these people.

I notice a big difference in the experience when I dine with someone. I might still meet people, especially if we sit at the bar, which is almost always the case in the past several years especially, but focus is usually more on my guests or hosts. It’s great too. Just different.

Even if you are in a committed relationship I highly recommend not shying away if the opportunity to dine alone presents itself. You might be surprised. You might even find it to be a 5 Heart experience!

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Jean Oshima

See my blog, 5 Heart Rating at http://jeanoshima.com I am a Wellness & Wine and Special Events Producer