Solo dining/insight

The second week of Sept. in Paris I had a night on my own (fella had business). Over the years I%26#39;ve had many a dinner on my own in Paris and other cities(including my own!), some experiences better than others of course but most just fine. In small, large, fancy or not establishments.

We were staying in the 17th and it had been a busy day. I decided on a mid=sized Brasserie we had passed earlier that day,B rass. Niel on Ave. Niel. I was in a mood to get lost in the crowd, so to speak, not for a small place.

As I approached the Niel I saw many outdoor diners and others in the outdoor/indoor areas but also spied many empty tables in both areas. A little after 9, a week night(Wed), and I was nicely dressed..even a skirt!

When I asked for a table for one, in French but accent/hesitation, obviously not french speaker or fluent. The waiter looked towards the areas I mentioned with la carte in hand but the man in the suit, who overheard the exchange, took over and led me to a not so great table in an EMPTY room inside ! I took one look and couldn%26#39;t help laughing! ( a bus person in the room even looked startled..before I laughed!) Now I%26#39;m not shy and have asked for different tables before when dining solo and have gotten them but this just gave me a real bad feeling, like I did not want to spend my money there and would not have a good experience. I said no thanks and started walking out. He started suggesting other tables but my mood for the place was no.

I changed gears, headed to a smallish bistro I had also spied during the day, La Mascotte. Was greeted warmly and seated at a lovely open air window table. (the place was similarly busy as the Brass.) Had a lovely meal and experience.

Now maybe the first guy thought as a solo woman I wouldn%26#39;t want to be on display?? But an empty room and not the greatest table there??

So my insight for the night was sometimes its best not to get lost in the crowd..you could just get lost in an empty room!

|||

Geordy - Good for you for leaving that restaurant!!! The nerve of them for offering you an inferior table!!!!!!!!!!!

|||

I agree with Shoesy. I travel solo quite often and If I don%26#39;t like the way I%26#39;m treated or hustled to some far away table when others are open I will head out too. I own a Restaurant and totally am not high maintaince or fussy and understand the ropes, but when treated without regard or respect, well I ain%26#39;t taking that for a moment.

Theresa in Detroit...

|||

What kind of restaurant do you own, Theresa? Just curious.

|||

Geordy,

Brasserie Niel is a kosher restaurant which specializes in Tunisian dishes (couscous and some tunisian dishes I prefer not to describe because they look awful...but taste very very good !).

A lot of jewish families go there on Friday nights to celebrate Shabbat.

So I think it is a good thing you have changed your mind because you would probably have been very surprised with the menu, lol !

|||

AnneParis,

Too bad....I Love Tunisian food! North African restaurants tend to be the only other than French I visit on trips to Paris! The only reason(Besides the Bad experience at Niel!) I didn%26#39;t this trip was because I had recently had Moroccan food in NYC and had veered from European with a fantastic Indonisian dinner in Amsterdam just before arriving in Paris!

And I%26#39;ve had lovely cous cous spreads in Paris restaurants solo before and been treated as royally as the cous cous royale!

|||

Hey Shoesy

I have a small (seats 75 if I get the chairs out of the bathroom)breakfast and lunch restaurant. I have been in business for 17 years. All our soups are homemade and most of the menu items are made in house as well. My customers love our Eggs Bennie, Potato Pancakes, Corn bread Waffles and Omelettes. My cook made a list of 1000 omelettes (well there not really 1000 we just call it that) and we have been featuring one every day and that%26#39;s really popular right now. We had Chicken Gumbo twice this week because we keep selling out and customers want more.Our chicken-n-dumplin soup is very popular too. I have a sandwich called the Tyllwich (till-wich) that is very popular. Many Soldiers that come in on their off time from Iraq come in just for that. One of them sent Me a picture of His plattoon and they all signed it, they said they will survive to come back to eat at Old House. Talk about compliments of all compliments. I%26#39;m very proud of that. I have many many children that come in and I love them with all my heart and they love Me too. They own the restaurant and do anything they want. I let them go back and flip eggs and make mickey mouse pancakes and run the cash register. Some parents at first have that nervous smile on their face when I ask their kids do they want to cook their own breakfast, cash themselves out or take someone%26#39;s order at a table, but once the kid does it and the smile on their little faces wipes out all doubt with their parents. I%26#39;ve had the pleasure of watching many children grow up and become adults and graduate college and get married and start their own families so I%26#39;m waiting on 2nd and 3rd generations of families. God is so good.

If Your ever in Detroit, please come by for breakfast or lunch.

some of our motto%26#39;s;

good food-bad attitude

eat it or wear it

eat and get out

tip or die

tipping is not a city in china

all unattended children will be given an espresso and puppy

this ain%26#39;t your grandma%26#39;s kitchen

I%26#39;m Lebanese with a temper to prove it

Women run this joint, got any ?%26#39;s.

I could go on and on but I%26#39;m sure you get it..

Theresa in Detroit...

In Rome there is a African Restaurant too and the food was outstanding.

|||

geordy

I doubt that you would have been seated with the crowd at any Orthodox restaurant anywhere in the world. It%26#39;s a cultural difference rather than rudeness. I%26#39;m quite sure there was no intent to offend, it%26#39;s just that a woman alone is unexpected, to say the least.

When I was growing up, my parents%26#39; best friends were Orthodox from North Africa. They would have been shocked to see you there alone, and actually might have left the restaurant rather than have their children there under those circumstances.

|||

Theresa, your description makes me want to hop on the next flight to Detroit, with the kinder!

|||

Theresa,

If I%26#39;m ever in Detroit I%26#39;ll be there!

BC,

I%26#39;ve eaten solo In Kosher restaurants in NYC and been %26quot;seated with the crowd%26quot;. I realize women dining solo in Paris is not quite as common as perhaps here but there are plenty of women travelling solo these days..business or pleasure ..and this place was on a busy avenue. At any rate I should have been offered a good table in the empty room, n%26#39;est pas?

|||

Sounds delicious, Theresa. My husband will actually be in Detroit in 2 weeks (he goes there every year), but when he%26#39;s away on business he probably grabs breakfast at the hotel. Then I assume he either skips lunch or grabs something quick in between business meetings.