Ask Dali Mama

DEAR DALI MAMA:

Is it weird when sitting alone at a restaurant to invite other solo diners to join you? Not as a romantic overture, but just to sit with someone during a meal. What do you think?

–Curious (United States)

DEAR CURIOUS:

I don’t think it’s weird but you might just want to pay attention to whether the person you’re asking seems like they want to be alone or not. You can always offer to let them join you, especially if the restaurant is full and someone would have to wait for a table, and don’t take it personally if they say no. Sometimes people just want to chill out and be by themselves while they’re eating.

If you’re a man, be aware, too, that sometimes people might be wary you’re making a romantic overture even when you’re not.

If you like eating with others, you might want to check out those restaurants that are becoming more and more popular where they have a communal table (or tables) with a bunch of seats and people can just sit down. Or you can try to sit at a sushi bar or a diner counter or something where there are just a bunch of stools and you can start up a conversation with the person next to you if they seem open to it.

Have fun eating and meeting people.