How I Learned to Enjoy Dining Alone in Paris

As most of you know, I’m a woman over 70, and I recently returned from a 7-day solo trip to Paris.  One of the fears women have when traveling alone is eating by themselves. It can be awkward. I have dined alone many times in Los Angeles and don’t have a problem with it, especially at this age, but sometimes, it can be intimidating.

Many restaurants discourage solo dining from a financial standpoint

A two-top will always be more profitable than a one-top. Online booking sites may not allow bookings of two or more. That means calling the restaurant.

You can…

• Ask to sit at the counter or bar.
• Arrive early before meal service gets into full gear.
• As a last resort, book for two and tell the host your guest canceled at the last minute.

Paris bistros typically serve lunch from 12 – 2:30 pm and dinner from 7-11 pm. However, dinner service doesn’t really get busy until at least 8 pm. If you arrive when the restaurant opens, you have a good chance of getting a seat.

Restaurants, usually brasseries, with the word “Continu” listed on their sign, serve all day.

While I was planning my trip, my first instinct was to have dinner at wine bars. They often serve throughout the day and evening and offer small bites, which is something I prefer. I’m a morning person and zone out after 6 pm.

I only ended up going to one wine bar called Frenchie Bar À Vins. It opens at 6:30 pm, and I arrived early. There was already a line because it’s a popular place. My daughter had been there before and encouraged me to go.

The tiny establishment filled up fast, but I was lucky to score an outside table and finished eating before it started to rain. I didn’t mind being outside because I could people-watch the lively action on the street.

Book food tours in different neighborhoods

As a foodie, I am a HUGE fan of food tours and prebooked three of them during my stay in Paris. Food tours are fun because you walk through a neighborhood, learn a little bit about it, and pick up food at locally loved places.

Then the group eats together in either a restaurant or a private space.

My food tours took place in the Marais, Montmartre, and Saint-Germain-des-Prés. I booked them with three different food tour companies: Devour, Secret Tours, and Paris by Mouth to see how they were different. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you which one was best because I LOVED them all.

Each tour consisted of 8 -12 people and a tour guide, which made them enjoyable. Foodies tend to be fun people. The benefits for a solo traveler are that you can meet other food lovers and eat enough to keep you full for hours.

All of my tours started at 10:30 am. We spent the first hour or so picking up croissants, baguettes, visiting meat and cheese vendors, tasting chocolate, pastries, crepes, and other goodies. Two tours ended in winetasting rooms, and the other in a private room set aside for the tour company. The groups sat around a large communal table where we conversed and interacted with the tour guide.

After our feasts, I set out to explore the neighborhood we were in. By the time I returned to my hotel room, I was pooped, and all I needed was a snack.  

Note: If you are a picky or a highly restricted eater, a food tour may not be for you. Or you may want to find a tour that better suits your diet. We had a couple of people who did not drink alcohol, which is understandable. However, if you are vegan, gluten-free, diabetic, or highly allergic, there are better uses for your money. Just saying.

Make lunchtime your main meal

My food tours took care of lunch for three of the days I was there. During the other four days, I splurged on yummy lunches. One was at Galerie LaFayette Le Gourmet, which is a food hall across from the upscale Galerie LaFayette shopping center. It’s located in the Opera district (9^th arrondissement) of Paris.

I got there early for lunch and was seated right away. The pop-up inside the hall featured fish dishes.

On the first day I arrived in Paris, I took a cruise from Canal Saint Martin to the Seine. Our boat landed at the Ile de la Cité, near Notre-Dame. I highly recommend it.

I had eaten airplane food on my flight, but was ravenous after the cruise. I had booked a self-guided tour of Saint Chapelle, but had some time before it started, so I grabbed a sandwich from a boulangerie across the street. That held me over through dinner.

On another day, I toured the Hidden Passages of Paris, which are covered walkways constructed in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries for wealthy women to shop without getting muddy.

Afterward, I had lunch at Le Vaudeville, a brasserie highly recommended by a Paris vlogger @ParisTopTips. I booked my reservation online. The restaurant has a lovely Art Deco décor, and the food was classic French and delightful.

After a tour of Hotel de la Marine near the Place de la Concorde, I had an elegant lunch at Café Laperouse in the same building. Hotel de la Marine was an 18th-century aristocratic mansion up until the French Revolution.

Even though the heart of Paris is fairly safe, a woman traveling by herself may feel uncomfortable going out at night. I honestly didn’t have those fears, but because I’m not a night owl, I prefer having lunch as my largest meal.

One night, I decided to try a Bouillon restaurant near my hotel called Le Bouillon Chartier. Bouillon restaurants were established in the late 1800s to serve workers classic French meals at a reasonable price. They do not allow reservations. Customers share tables with strangers, which was an interesting experience.  

I sat with three French speakers, but sadly, my French is miserable. Many bouillons have beautiful Art Deco or Belle Époque décor. The food wasn’t great, but the atmosphere, as loud as it was, was definitely memorable. Everyone should eat at a bouillon at some point when visiting Paris.

Another dinner was at a neighborhood bistro, Bistrot Rougemont, which was recommended by my hotel, Adele & Jules. I made a reservation online. The owner was friendly and gregarious. He made everyone feel welcome and spoke excellent English. I had a delicious and authentic French meal a block away from my room.

Other dining options for solo female travelers

Parisians are big on picnics, either along the Seine, the Canal St Martin, or in any of its numerous and gorgeous parks. Grab a sandwich at a boulangerie or pick up fixings in any number of little eateries or park kiosks, find a bench or chair to sit on, and enjoy.

Of course, this doesn’t work if it rains, which happens often. In that case, there are thousands of cafes, brasseries, bistros, and coffeehouses to choose from.

Museums also have gardens, cafes, and restaurants where you can rest your feet and satiate your appetite between exhibitions. I enjoyed a delightful tea in a secret garden at Maison Victor Hugo in Place des Vosges.

I regret that I missed out on having dinner at the Musée d’Orsay during its extended Thursday hours, but it was raining pretty hard, and I was tired from my explorations that day. In retrospect, I should have booked an earlier time slot. Or, maybe, I just have to go back to Paris. LOL

Don’t get taken advantage of in subpar restaurants that cater to tourists

A red flag is a restaurant across from a major tourist attraction. It is better to dine a few streets away, where the locals eat for the best quality meals.

Avoid restaurants that try to coax you in, or have long menus, exclusively English menus, or are adorned with large fake floral displays.

Tipping is generally added to your bill, but it is common to tip 10-15% on top of that if you receive good service. Restaurant workers in France make a living wage, unlike those in the United States. Payments in Paris are contactless, so add your credit card to your Google Wallet or Apple Pay and set your transactions for local currency.

It’s always a good idea to have some foreign bills (Euros in Paris) to leave as tips for restaurants, tour guides, and hotel staff.

To find the best restaurants in Paris or other foreign cities, don’t rely on influencers who have limited experience in the city. Google and TripAdvisor reviews can be iffy as well.

There are local vloggers, particularly on YouTube, who can give you good ideas. @ParisTopTops @LesFrenchiesTravel (all Boomers) are good references to start with. @ParisbyMouth and @JaySwanson are also excellent.

You can never go hungry in Paris, especially if you are adventurous and open to trying new things.

Have you ever eaten alone in a foreign country? How was your experience? Please leave a comment below.

Where to stay in Paris

Click on the map below.