NEW YORK — Parisa Imanirad, a scientist and cancer researcher from San Francisco, is married and has a wide circle of friends.
But once or twice a week, she goes to a restaurant by herself.
Imanirad said dining alone gives her time to think or read. She tries not to touch her phone and relishes the silence.
“It’s like a spa, but a different type,” Imanirad said during a recent solo lunch at Spruce, an upscale restaurant in San Francisco.
Solo Dining
Parisa Imanirad, a scientist and cancer researcher, eats lunch alone Aug. 22 at Spruce, an upscale restaurant in San Francisco.
In the U.S., solo dining reservations rose 29% over the last two years, according to OpenTable, a restaurant reservation site. They’re up 18% this year in Germany and 14% in the United Kingdom.
Japan even has a special term for solo dining: ohitorisama, which means alone but with honorifics spoken both before and after the word to make parties of one feel less hesitant. In a recent survey, Japan’s Hot Pepper Gourmet Eating Out Research Institute found 23% of Japanese people eat out alone, up from 18% in 2018.