Solo dining finds its moment

Solo dining is having a moment, with reservations for one jumping 23% over the past year, booking app OpenTable says. Why it matters: That growth may look like another sign of America's loneliness epidemic. But many solo diners say eating alone offers a rare chance to slow down, reflect and savor the small stuff.Driving the news: Veronica Selzler, a 36-year-old Washington, D.C., resident, told Washington Post food critic Elazar Sontag — who first reported OpenTable's solo dining data — that she regularly takes herself on solo dates.Selzler sits at the bar, brings a book or sketchpad, avoids picking up her phone, and enjoys watching the kitchen staff prepare meals."I think I eat slower. I pay a lot more attention to the full sensory experience of a meal when I'm by myself, because I'm not chatting."By the numbers: OpenTable found that solo diners spend $94 on average, up 7% year over year. (That's compared to $60 per person across all party sizes.)Thursday solo reservations rose 25%.3 p.m. solo reservations are trending, but 6 p.m. bookings are the most popular overall.The bottom line: Eating alone takes a certain level of confidence, but solo diners are unlikely to be judged — and may leave feeling more centered.Methodology: OpenTable analyzed online reservations at U.S. restaurants on its platform broken down by party size, average spend per person, day of week, hour and city. It compared reservations made between June 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, to those made between June 2, 2024–July 1, 2025.Go deeper: Axios Finish Line: What readers taught us about meditation