If you don’t ask, you’ll never know. The worst that could happen is they say no, plenty of other dining options out there.
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I hate, hate, hate dining out alone. Having a person or persons to share the meal with me is almost as important as the meal itself. Especially when I was younger. I’d do anything to avoid it. You don’t even want to know what I did for food when I was in that situation and away from my kitchen. I always wondered why my dad actually relished eating out alone when he was away on business. So …that being said, what my female friends do now is what a lot of people have suggested - eat at the bar. Staff will more likely than not be attentive, and from what I can gather the chance of being hassled is minimal.
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Plus you can order so many more things!!!
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I like dining alone. 
My friends often won’t pony up for the places I want to check out.
My best meals in Rome were alone because those 7 ladies I was traveling with don’t know a good thing! I also love talking to the bartender or watching other ppl, or meeting locals.
I like dining out with friends, too, but these days I rather just go out with 1 or 2 friends. I don’t like dining with big groups anymore.
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If one has to dine alone, a good option is to find a restaurant with a communal table, where you will oftentimes find other solo diners.
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My nightmare.
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Stammtisch. I don’t mind it
Some Chinese restaurants have communal tables in Toronto. I didn’t mind it when I used to go to some of them. People keep to their own little groups at a big table.
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As noted, this is a rarity to not accommodate single diners, and yes I’ve reached out in the past and many have been very accommodating. Some have not and there are some that explicitly state that they will only seat a minimum of 2. If I have someone I want to dine with who wants to go there, that is one thing, but I certainly won’t bend over backwards to find a dining companion just to visit. Lots of good food out there, and I certainly will not be spending more just to convince them that solo diners are worth it.
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So I often order more things anyway. 
I’m not shy about getting a doggy bag if I have to.
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Meh, dining with others is highly overrated, I dine when I’m hungry not when I can get together with others… #misanthrope
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They are not, and should not be, mutually exclusive.
Like I said , meh 
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I’m a very social creature & lucky to have many friends who love food and dining out almost as much as I do.
To me, the social aspect of a convivial meal shared with my peeps is about as important as the meal itself.
I am also not a big eater & terrible at choosing just one dish to try, so if I were to go by myself I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the much bigger variety of dishes available to me with friends.
Oh, and I’m with friends 🩵
Too much yapping and not enough eating for me 
Please. We’re professionals.
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I love dining out with family and friends. But when I get the rare chance to be alone, man, I want to be ALONE.
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I get together with my sisters at least once a month, but most of my friends aren’t retired like I am so it’s a PITA to try and coordinate get togethers.
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Good one!
mine too! If I’m going out alone, it’s because I desperately need some peace and quiet time outside my family home, and/or something to eat the other two don’t want. I always take a book. I usually enjoy short conversations with the bartender or server, especially at my neighborhood hangout (which is far from fine dining). But sitting at a communal table where social interaction is expected with random strangers in a group is a nightmare for me as well.
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How do you find this out? Do they not let you make a reservation, or not let you in if you show up without one?
There have been times when I couldn’t make an online reservation for one, and thought of seeing if making a reservation for two and changing it later might work, but I didn’t think finding out what happened sounded too exciting.
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