In the age of self-love, therapy, and career-driven young professionals in their 20’s and 30’s, the service industry has seen an increase in the number of solo guests. Whether traveling for work, treating themselves because it’s Thursday, or sitting at the bar working on their next novel.

Take it from me, who’s spent time bartending in one of Montreal’s most recognized establishments: For bars, especially in this city, there aren’t many where you can’t pull up a seat order a fun glass of wine and some olives and have a great time either alone or shooting shit with the person across the bar.

For restaurants, however, the experience changes slightly: Solo dinners can feel lost sitting at amongst a sea of incredible dining experiences for parties, dates, and those irreplicable, spontaneous moments that make for excellent stories. There is a world of difference for the guests dining solo.

Pulling up at the bar of L'Express is, in itself, legendary. | Photograph: André Cornellier

Here’s what I’ve noticed works from both my own experience and from speaking to my own guests across the bar:

Bar top dining—whether it’s at the stainless steel of Monarque or the large slab of wood that could tell some stories at L’Express—makes you feel like you’re part of the dance that is service, and not getting lost in the crowd of the dining room.

An option of small plates is better as it allows you to really understand a range of what is on offer at the spot. Pichai excels in solo dining, sitting behind the vibrant orange bar with Kai Loon Keuy, some Som Tum Thai, and Kor Moo Yang with some sticky rice and crispy greens paired with a few glasses of racey wine from local or abroad. I know any time I’ve been in there is always something new to try.

Nolan also really gets this right: You walk in and feel seen, the staff sashay around the comfortable room pouring wines and serving a great variety of plates, and you can leave feeling you’ve had a little bit of everything.

Comfort abounds at spots like Nolan (left) and Pichai (right). | Photograph: @nolanmontreal & @pichaimontreal / Instagram

Atmosphere is the pillar it all stands on. A smaller room with comfort at mind will make a difference, feeling seen and looked after rather than served. A solo diner, after all, is looking for interaction. For example, while the grand dining room of Île de France inside Le 9e is beautiful and the experience is great, a solo steak frites and martini at the black marble bar of the French Line is a touch more welcoming; chatting the bartenders is effortless, and the specials always offer something new.

"...a solo steak frites and martini at the black marble bar of the French Line is a touch more welcoming." | Photograph: @lefrenchline / Instagram

Who doesn’t love solo dining?

Overall, Montreal has an amazing and generally relaxed service style that allows solo guests to feel comfortable. It’s found in so many spaces in this city that I definitely needn’t mention them all.

You don’t have to get the girls together to go out or wait for that friend from out of town to come visit before you can go try a new spot. Sit at the bar and let the staff on the other side do what they do best. Be open to a conversation with them. Have fun.

Trust me: We love a solo diner.

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Who doesn’t love solo dining?

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Samuel Hannan

What solo diners know that you don't