For solo travelers, the most daunting aspect of their trip is often eating alone. <\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For the uninitiated, the simple act of grabbing a bite between blocks of sightseeing can unleash a spiral of anxiety: You need to eat, but what do you do during the eternity between ordering and the arrival of your plate? Is that woman staring at you? Are you doing it wrong? How can you eat incorrectly?!  <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

However, Paris might be the perfect place to give solo dining a go. Paris is practically synonymous with caf\u00e9s. Take a walk through practically any quartier<\/em>, and after acclimating to the elegance of Parisian architecture, what you\u2019ll notice next is the abundance of caf\u00e9s. With an estimated 20,000 people inhabiting each square kilometer, Parisian lives play out in public, to a certain extent. Birthday parties will be packed into tiny bars, friendly catch-ups take place over a planche mixte<\/em>, and lovers squeeze in kisses between cigarettes on sprawling terraces.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Yet look closer still, and you\u2019ll notice the abundance of Parisians eating alone in plain sight. The French have elevated solo dining to an art. Eating alone isn\u2019t considered sad, but rather an investment in self-care. You have to eat, so why not eat well? Women sit outside with dogs at their feet and glasses of wine at hand. Old men pore over the daily newspaper with flaky croissants<\/a> and espresso. While it may be tempting to avoid eating alone in Paris by breaking meals into on-the-go snackable segments, mosey over to a neighborhood caf\u00e9 for une table pour un<\/em>. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Tips for eating alone in Paris<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Focus on the food<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

First things first, while you may be lacking a date, you\u2019re gaining a whole lot of room. Don\u2019t forget that space is at a premium, and trying to fit two dinners onto one round-but-tiny, bistro table becomes akin to a tense game of Jenga. As a solo traveler, you\u2019re less likely to end up spilling your drinks or knocking your silverware to the floor and causing a ruckus.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Dining solo places the emphasis on the food itself. The arrival of each course is an event, rather than something that interrupts the flow of conversation. With each bite, you\u2019re able to savor the flavors, and maybe even let the meal jog memories like Proust\u2019s madeleine<\/a>. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n