‘Eenmaal’: Restaurant for solo diners opens in Amsterdam

A meal out in good company can be a restorative highlight to any week. But what about those times when you're craving fresh sushi in a sushi-esque environment and no one is free to meet up? Or you’ve just spent a day running a million errands and have another million to go and your stomach informs you it’s high time for a fill-up?

What if you’re traveling for business and the thought of spending another minute with your boardroom cohort strikes you as appealing as un-anesthetized root canal?

What if you simply have no problem being in your own company and also happen to enjoy fine dining?

For some reason, many people still harbour a deep-rooted anxiety about going out to eat in a restaurant alone. Countless people have done it and survived to tell the tale, yet, strangely, a mild stigma remains.

It takes a strong sense of security and confidence to walk into a restaurant full of people breaking bread in groups, request a table for one, and sit down for the duration of your meal without a flicker of discomfort.

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So in order to highlight the ridiculousness of the “dining alone” taboo, especially in some of the world’s more cosmopolitan cities, where restaurants are stuffed at all hours with solo diners enjoying a great meal, an enterprising businesswoman and Dutch branding company, Vandejong, have come up with a restaurant entirely dedicated to single-occupancy tables.

At 'Eenmaal', a pop-up restaurant that opened in Amsterdam on June 27, diners can enjoy a top-end meal and the concentration required to fully appreciate it because they have nothing but their own thoughts to accompany them throughout the process.

“It is the perfect place to dine in pleasant solitude; an exciting experiment for those who never go out for dinner alone and an attractive place to eat for those who already enjoy doing so,” creator Marina van Goor says in a press release.

“We wanted to achieve two things with the branding [of 'Eenmaal']. First, we wanted to entice people to come to the restaurant and at the same time, to give them food for thought,” Vandejong’s creative director Pjotr de Jong adds. “'Eenmaal' is a brand that is at the heart of today’s society - we wanted to demonstrate that eating in solitude can be a good thing.”

To the non-Dutch-speaking contingent, “eenmaal” is a play on words that can either mean “one time” or “one meal.” Its creators are hoping it’s more the latter than the former for customers.

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So far the feedback amongst the commentariat has been divided. While many love the concept, an equal number have been compelled to inform everyone that they have no problem dining alone, therefore there’s no need for something that may help another person work through their own issues around it.

“This idea is so dump [sic]. I agree people should learn to feel comfortable being alone. But if they truly prefer to be left alone, they wouldn't dine out,” says one Design Taxi reader who is currently completing her graduate studies in logical fallacy.

Others were pithier in their criticism. “I will not be a client,” says another reader.

Whether this sounds like your single-serving cup of tea or not, 'Eenmaal' presents an interesting jump-off point to explore why more people don’t, in fact, eat alone at restaurants.

Believe it or not, it’s actually a great way to meet new people. If you’re sitting at a bar tucking into a burger, it’s easy to turn around and make conversation with the person sitting next to you.

The only strategic problem with 'Eenmaal', at least in this regard, is that if you do happen to connect with another lovely solo diner, you can’t exactly ask him or her to join you at your table.

The pop-up restaurant closed its doors on June 29 and has some wondering if and where it will pop up next.

Would you try dining at a place like 'Eenmaal?'