The Resy Guide to Dining Solo in D.C.

For Solo Dining With a Side of Theater

What makes L’Ardente so great for dining solo? The coveted seats at their pizza bar, of course. Make a reservation for one for whatever time works for you. Once seated, you can indulge in all of the delicious Italian fare that the kitchens sends out each night (hello, crispy fried saffron arancini!) and have a courtside view of their built-in entertainment — the pizza bar stools face the area where L’Ardente’s chefs twirl pizza dough on their hands and baking pies in their impressive gold-plated oven. Bar stools not your favorite? Don’t worry, the ones at L’Ardente have backs, padding, and a place to rest your feet.

For an unforgettable solo dining experience, book a seat at Rasika Penn Quarter’s kitchen counter. Here, you can feast on chef Vikram Sunderam’s famous palak chaat, barbequed paneer, and mango shrimp, while simultaneously watching the kitchen team spin their magic with each culinary creation. It’s a real-life cooking show you won’t be able to get enough of.

Oyster Oyster offers two different kinds of solo dining experience. One is bar seating where you can treat yourself to award-winning chef Rob Rubba’s tasting menu for $135; the other is kitchen counter seating, where you can observe the culinary team masterfully create every artful dish while indulging in the tasting menu for $155. Pro tip: Add a wine or juice pairing when you make your reservation, as both add an extra dimension to a meal here.

Read more about Oyster Oyster here.

Pizza is perfect for sharing but also makes for a wonderful solo meal. At Martha Dear in Mount Pleasant, the pizza is so delicious it’s just as well you won’t have to worry about sharing it. Grab a seat at their pizza counter and order a variety of items from their Greek-Italian-themed menu while you admire the chefs’ craft. Their whipped honey-soaked feta is downright dreamy, and their cheesy and lemony white pizza will have you swooning. Pro tip: The pizza is even better the next morning, so don’t worry if you’re not up to finishing an entire pie in a single sitting.

For Elite People Watching

Dining alone, especially on a patio that offers an opportunity to people watch, is a common pleasure in Paris. So, it’s no surprise that Le Dip offers space for solo diners both in their dining room and on their patio. Savor a glass of champagne, a cheese plate, and more from Le Diplomat’s modern bistro menu as you scope out the passersby and pretend you’re living it up on the Left Bank.

Here’s how to score a table at Le Diplomate.

A breakfast taco spot in the daytime and cocktail bar in the evening, Le Tejana is a great place to visit for solo diners if you have a hankering for a frozen margarita, a tequila espresso martini, or a mezcal old-fashioned, complete with a pile of crunchy tortilla chips and creamy queso. Their high-top seats along the windows create a great landing spot for people watching while you sip a cocktail and nibble on something from the bar menu. You won’t regret ordering anything that comes wrapped in their house-made flour tortillas.

The dining spaces at Planta Queen are divided into two areas, the front being more of a lounge, with a bar, and the back area which more closely resembles a traditional dining room. Ask for a table in the lounge area, where solo guests can witness all the happenings of the restaurant while you eat. The restaurant’s plant-forward menu has veggie sushi and plenty of small plates for solo diners who want to try several dishes. Highlights on the menu include sweet corn dumplings, mushroom bao sliders, and bang bang broccoli — all of which you wouldn’t want to share anyway.

When Solo Dining Is Your ‘Me Time’

There’s nothing like a warm bowl of Thai curry to warm your soul. Head to Baan Siam and ask for a quiet table or a seat at the bar from where you can watch the game. Either way, order a lychee martini, made with vodka, lime juice, lychee purée, and lychee liquor, and then luxuriate over a bowl of spicy, fragrant red curry as you enjoy the pleasure of your own company.

The lounge at Dōgon emits solo dining energy. The scene includes cozy velvet seats, dim lighting, and a quiet ambiance. The menu served in the lounge pays tribute to West African culture as well as Washington’s rich African-American history, so expect treats like fluffy cornbread with spiced shiro butter, charbroiled oysters, and colorful piri piri salad. Relish your alone time here, and savor every last bite without distractions.

Read more about Dōgon here.

Sometimes, the allure of dining alone is wanting to be free from the pressures of having a conversation — and this can include listening to others converse around you. At Ceibo, you can dine out without the din of a typical Sunday service, when the restaurant offers “quiet hours” dining. During lunch and dinner on Sundays, the restaurant plays music at a lower decibel, and staff and guests are encouraged to speak softly so that diners can have a more peaceful dining experience. Turn off your phone and be in the moment with your comforting leek tart or savory rice pudding.

Read more about the menu at Ceibo here.

With their large garden picnic tables, Sonny’s offers a great space for you to camp out with whatever you need — whether that be a book, a journal, a laptop, or nothing at all. Make a single reservation for the pizza garden and treat yourself to one of their cheesy, square-shaped pizzas and a cocktail from Kisses, their adjacent bar.

Like Parisians, Japanese diners are known to appreciate solo dining – especially when it comes to sushi. No need to head to Japan, you can have a solo sushi experience here in D.C. at Dear Sushi. Make a bar seat reservation and go to town on their extensive sushi assortment and some sake – no conversation needed.

Hate screaming across the table at your dining partners in a loud restaurant? Dine at Lapis solo, where you can book a table for one and dive into their dumplings with garlic yogurt, pumpkin flatbread, and as many other Afghan dishes as you can eat.

If you prefer a chill, café-type vibe for dining solo, Elle makes for an ideal destination. During the day, stop by for an egg sandwich and a rosemary thyme latte, and in the evening, bring a book and have a date with a decadent bowl of bucatini verde and a glass of wine.

Perfect For Making New Friends

The Red Hen offers a variety of seating for solo diners – including table dining and bar seating, which encompasses high-tops alongside the circular bar. Ideal for making new friends, it’s a spot where people love to hang out, order drinks, and chat with other guests. Do all that while digging into one of the restaurant’s irresistible pasta dishes or snacking on a few plates (like their whipped ricotta crostini or wild mushroom arancini) while sipping a cocktail.

Although Pascual’s bar area is small, this modern Mexican heavy hitter offers quite the dynamic dining experience. Bartenders are gregarious and talkative, ready to engage you on the day’s best dishes and pours. Other guests at the bar are giddy with excitement to finally be at the acclaimed (and wildly in-demand) restaurant and are ready to make friends. Secure a bar seat, and plan to spend the evening there — the menu is full of gems like a squash tlayuda, farro esquites, and a delicate arroz con leche choux, many of which are blessed with flavor from the restaurant’s open hearth.

Read more about Pascual here.

The convivial bar seats at Reveler’s Hour are ideal for diners flying solo who want a lively atmosphere for connecting with strangers and making new friends. Reserve “bar seating” for one online and get ready to mingle with fellow soloists. Order wine from sommelier Raj Parr’s extensive list, and devour dishes like mushroom panzanella, cappelletti with kale and pecan pesto, cavatelli alla vodka, and buttery, glistening garlic knots, all while chatting with the other guests at the bar.