Would You Eat at the World’s First ‘Forever Alone’ Restaurant?

Post author By Dominique Zamora
Post date July 5, 2013
12 Comments on Would You Eat at the World’s First ‘Forever Alone’ Restaurant?

“Table for one.” At most restaurants, that tiny statement is enough to earn you more than a couple confused, if not pitying looks. But not at Amsterdam’s “Eenmaal,” the world’s first self-proclaimed “one-person” restaurant, where tiny tables and single placemats and ample personal space are enough to make anyone feel like a leper, on purpose.

The two-day pop-up opened its doors last Thursday and takes its name from the Dutch word for “once,” according to Google Translate. As in, once I had friends, but they all stayed in our hometown when I moved to the big city. Or once I had a girlfriend but we broke up and she took the dog. Or once I spent my lunch hours at bars chatting up the bartender until I realized he was way out of my league and I would be alone forever and somehow ended up at this awful restaurant that seemingly exists just to reinforce my loneliness.

In all honesty, I like eating by myself, but because I’m a voyeur who loves people watching, not because I enjoy being gawked at, which seems to be the only thing a place like Eenmaal would be good for. Well, that and recreating that perfect seeing-a-gorgeous-stranger-from-across-the-room moment. It’s okay, it’s not like you were going to talk to your dining companion anyway.

H/T + PicThx Pop Up City, Brand Education Services

Tags alone, amsterdam, Eating, eenmaal, forever alone, one person, pop-up, restaurant, single, smartphone, solo

By Dominique Zamora

Dominique would be a foodie if she had money to pay for food. For now, she gets by just looking at food photography, which results in at least one more starving journalism student every time Instagram breaks down.

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12 replies on “Would You Eat at the World’s First ‘Forever Alone’ Restaurant?”

It’s actually a pun for ‘one meal’ as well 😉

True, and you wouldn’t use eenmaal as ‘once’ in this context. It’s more something that happened one time.

“Can I pull up a chair?” “No”

this sounds like a great restaurant.

Interesting concept. It would have been a good article if the author had taken the time to actually interview a visitor, or the owner.

Now all we know is that Dominique is above eating at places like this.

The team behind this restaurant is also opening another location that features a buffet. It’s called “tafel voor een, diner voor twee”, which translates to “table for one, dinner for two”.

No, I wouldn’t eat there–the tables are too small. I like to get a booth and spread out a little.

The relentlessly condescending author of this article fails (as a result of making no effort) to understand that this restaurant is intended to appeal to introverts, who like eating alone, but feel self-conscious doing so in a typical restaurant surround by groups. Why would you fear being gawked at when everyone in the place is in the exact same situation?

As an introvert, I like the concept, if not the decor. It needs style and interesting design elements to examine while you’re busy not talking.

Too many people are taking what Dominique said too literally. She was clearly joking. She even uses a well-known, humorous Internet meme to describe the place. And this site is hardly ever about SERIOUSBUSINESS.