The Best Solo Dining in London

A lot of people feel weird dining alone but after years of traveling the world for work — where I often had to decide between a lonely (and expensive) room service dinner in front of the television or exploring the city I was in and going somewhere fun for dinner — I’m a huge fan of solo dining. I honestly don’t mind dining alone at all but of course I have my preferences. I prefer comfortable bar seating and a lively bar area, preferably with an open kitchen where I can watch stuff happening. Long-term readers of this blog will also know that I am not the greatest cook (working on it…it’s a journey), so even when I’m home, given the choice between microwave ready meals and something prepared specifically for me at a restaurant, I will nearly always choose the restaurant.

And I’m not alone either. According to a recent Guardian article, OpenTable recently reported that reservations for one have increased across the UK by 160% since 2014.

Now after 10+ years in London and many trips in between during my four years in exile in Chicago, I’ve racked up quite a few solo dinners. Here are my favorite restaurants for solo dining in London. They are grouped by cuisine but no more than that. Read the entire list as these are all places that I equally love, depending on my mood, my budget, and how willing I am to travel.

(If you work for the PR firm for one or more of these restaurants, I’d love some images of the bar seating. Please feel free to email me at kristainlondon at gmail dot com.)

Spanish

Barrafina (All Branches)

Barrafina is an amazing tapas chain with a small number of locations spread out across Central London. They are all extremely friendly AND delicious to boot. They do not take reservations so showing up  with a large group at peak times is not advised. Get in early and ask your server for his/her recommendations. You’ll want to be strategic about your order because some dishes are more meant for sharing. Your server will never steer you wrong at Barrafina! Excellent changing specials menu and great wines too!

Iberica (All Branches)

Iberica is a very reliable Spanish tapas chain with beautiful decor. I sorta want whoever designed Iberica Farringdon to come over and design my house. I’ve spent many an evening at the bar at the Iberica Farringdon, slowly working my way through the menu and enjoying their very good value wines by the glass. Make sure you ask to see the bar menu in addition to the regular menu…the bar menu has all the small snacks which are perfect when you are not super hungry.

Seafood

J. Sheekey

If you’re looking for a clubby old-world feel, J. Sheekey is it. If you’re also the type of person who can down a dozen oysters in one seating, this is definitely the place for you! J. Sheekey is very seafood focused. The bar area is compact but the perfect place to down some Champagne while you’re enjoying some of London’s best crustaceans. Somehow the bar manages to always feel lively and fun for me, even at the quietest of times. I usually drop in here after a heavy afternoon of shopping in Covent Garden.

Bentley’s

If you can’t get into J. Sheekey for oysters and champagne, head on over to Bentley’s  for more of the same.  They’ll shuck the oysters right in front of you — they claim to open more oysters per day than any other London restaurant. This is one of London’s older establishments as well…Bentley’s has been around for over 100 years. I like the overall feel of Bentley’s and the location, right off Piccadilly Circus, really can’t be beat.

Wright Brothers

Wright Brothers Spitalfields was my go-to place on the weekends in London — never too crowded and great, friendly service. Wright Brothers has a number of locations around London but while I really love the long bar at the Spitalfields branch of Wright Brothers, Kelly from A Pair of Passports recently recommended the downstairs bar at the South Kensington location to me. She says, “With delicious seafood and a romantic setting, Wright Brothers is easily our favorite spot for a date night in London. Their newest location, at Battersea Power Station, offers the option to dine at the marble counter, perfect for anyone who enjoys watching the chefs work. At first glance, this riverside location seems more casual than the other Wright Brothers locations, but it doesn’t take long to recognize that it has the same wonderful, romantic ambiance as all the others.

Wright Brothers offers a relatively small permanent menu; however, there are also creative daily specials to consider. The chain specialize in seafood but they usually have a few non-fish options on the menu as well — thus worth a visit no matter what your meal preferences are. Our personal favorite thing to order? Oysters. All of them are wonderful, but we recommend trying at least one of the dressed oysters. On our most recent visit, the Tempura dressed oysters completely blew us away!”

Italian

Padella

Padella is a fun little Italian place right by Borough market. There’s a bar right in the middle where you can enjoy wine on tap (!!!) and any of Padella’s fab pastas. Service is very efficient…I always feel like when I go to Padella, I’m in and out in less than 30 minutes! Padella is definitely not fast food, but rather, their pastas are extremely fresh  and made on site daily. Historically there have also been huge queues at popular times so definitely plan ahead for this one.

Bocca di Lupo

If you’re in Central London and fancy a quick meal pre- or post-theatre bowl of pasta, Bocca di Lupo is a great option. The seasonal menu changes daily. The dining room here is always buzzing — you might actually want to make a reservation before heading over. This is a great option if you want to hang out in Soho before or after or have theatre tickets close by.

Lina Stores Restaurant

For years, Lina Stores has offered delicious pasta and deli products to the hungriest of Londoners through their shop in London’s Soho. Now they have their own restaurant — Lina Stores Restaurant —  with counter seating for those of us who don’t want to bring the pasta home and cook it ourselves! Note the shop is on Brewer Street and the restaurant is on Greek Street. Prices are particularly nice for Central London. This is a great option for a casual but central night out.

Bancone

Bancone is like all bar dining all the time so it’s great for a solo bowl of pasta. Service is friendly and efficient. You might want to make a reservation though because last time I dropped in for a late Saturday lunch the place was packed and there was a wait for counter space. This is a fun, lively place and if you’re lucky, they’ll be making pasta fresh in the window while you’re there.

American

Spuntino

It’s hard to decide exactly where to put Spuntino but they call themselves Italian-American comfort food but I think they’re more American than anything else. I LOVE Spuntino — it’s a great place for a quick snack if you’re around Soho and Piccadilly Circus. It can sometimes feel more like a bar than a restaurant but the menu has plenty of great options.  Get the truffled egg toast!

Japanese

Roka

I like Roka especially because for a change, we’re in super comfortable regular chairs as solo diners — no bar stools! Roka has great Japanese barbecue — I love the set up at Roka Charlotte Street because you get to watch all the barbecue action while it happens. Great cocktails and overall vibe too. This is a great place to go on your own if you’re looking for something a bit buzzy. Best to make a reservation.

Bone Daddies

Do you like ramen? Do you like rock and roll? Then Bone Daddies is the place for you! Multiple locations with communal and bar seating but I am fond of the original Soho location. Cool staff, cool food, cool tunes. Don’t be afraid to wear the bib.  You won’t be alone. You’ll have a fun time here at a reasonable price. Bone Daddies is a super casual, come as you are kind of place.

Koya Bar Soho

Koya Bar is a great little place for udon and small dishes of fantastic Japanese food. It’s a super small place — maybe the smallest restaurant out of those on my list. They don’t take reservations so don’t show up with eight of your closest friends. Koya is best enjoyed with one friend or maybe two or of course — as a solo diner. Note they have multiple locations but I’m not sure if all have bar seating. Soho definitely does!

Thai

Kiln

Kiln makes me hungry just thinking about it. It’s a great spot for northern Thai food and what I love is that you can watch them cooking nearly everything from your seat at the bar. The counter seating is walk-in only and there is often a wait so go early or go late! I’m not sure how I can do justice to the food in writing — it’s spectacular.

Israeli

The Palomar

The Palomar is just plain FUN. It’s like they are all doing their best to make sure you have a great time, even if you’re alone at the bar. They used to do this pot of Yemeni bread which was amazing. I don’t see it on the menu now but instead, you can have the Handmade Pittas Josperized with love?? You know what…just get anything they tell you to get. They know what they are doing and you will have fun and eat delicious food and maybe get a little happy drunk in the process.

Hot Dogs (I’m Serious.)

Bubbledogs

Do you like hot dogs? Do you like champagne? If yes to both questions, then Bubbledogs is the place for you!! This place is entertainingly random and the communal seating makes it great for a solo diner. Because if you are going to drink alone, drink Champagne! And uh, have some hot dogs too.

Modern British

The Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs

OK, so no hot dogs here at the Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs but what you will find is an excellent tasting menu and great counter seating. If you are looking to splurge a bit — the tasting menu is £150 — this is a great option for a solo diner. Two Michelin Stars to boot! And my favorite thing…that open kitchen. The seating here is particularly comfy.

The Ivy

The Ivy in Covent Garden has a wonderful central dining bar that does not require reservations. If you want to hang out with the beautiful people and enjoy some great modern British cuisine (think Shepherd’s Pie and fish and chips), this is a great option. Although they don’t take reservations, The Ivy is very popular at nearly all times of the week so I recommend that you get there early or late to secure a spot.

Summary of The Best Solo Dining in London

Those are some of my favorite restaurants for solo dining in London. What are yours? Tell me in the comments! (And as I note above, if you are the PR for one ore more of these restaurants, I’d love to add photos of the bar seating so please send any photos to kristainlondon at gmail dot com.)

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