The best restaurants for solo diners

Flying solo for the night? You’re never really alone with a good meal. In an era of share plates, here’s where to get a table for one. Think booths for one, bar seating and open kitchen counters.

Outside a busy noodle restaurant there is a large sign above the entrance saying bowltiful

Bowltiful  

Bowltiful lovingly caters to introverts with dining booths made just for one. There is no need to talk to a single soul inside your partitioned cubby as you slurp your hand-pulled noodles uninterrupted. Choose your preferred thickness from thin to extra chewy super wide. You can't go wrong with the signature Lanzhou beef noodles or the spicy dry noodles with chicken, lamb or beef. And the best part is it's open until 2am – did someone say solo midnight feast? Find Bowltiful at 249 Swanston Street and 382-384 Elizabeth Street. 

Inside a restaurant with solo dining booths
Bowltiful
A person is serving themselves from a big bowl of noodles
Bowltiful

Super Taco

Hidden down one of Melbourne's coolest laneways is Super Taco – a tiny restaurant ideal for a solo mission. Here you'll find hand-pressed tortillas, a no-fuss four-taco menu and a self-serve taco bar. Place your order and watch the chef assemble your meal. While you're at it grab a cold bottle of Mexican soft drink or a frosty beer. Then pull up a stool, munch away and watch the world go by. 

Yakiniku Like

Who says BBQs are only for big parties? Yakiniku Like lets you sizzle and flip on your very own mini grill. This famous Japanese restaurant has opened a Melbourne outpost letting you enjoy this solo dining experience. Go for a customizable set that comes with rice, salad, seaweed soup and your preferred meat portion – 100, 200 or 300 grams. Think melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu, pork belly and sukiyaki beef. Hot tip: don't skip dipping sauces like garlic soy and spicy miso.

Meat is being grilled on a bbq flame
Yakiniku like
A mini Japanese bbq set with a tray of raw beef, salad and dipping sauces
Yakiniku like

Nori Maki

Hideaway inside this secret sushi bar hidden away in an unassuming arcade. The ex-Nobu head sushi chef at Nori Maki and his apprentices are at the ready to serve some of the best sushi in Melbourne. Take a seat at the wrap around counter and watch the master at work. Go for the omakase set to sample the best on the menu. Or call in for lunch and try the luxe sashimi bowls for $39.

The Terrace

The Royal Botanic Gardens' leafy cafe is a lovely idea for a solo date alfresco-style. Nestle in amongst the greenery and enjoy fancy brunch dishes like the cult-status hotcakes. Or wander in for lunch with a fresh and fruity spritz. Enjoy the sunshine at courtyard and watch the punting boats drift by on the stunning Ornamental Lake.

People sitting at small tables under yellow umbrellas near a park.
The Terrace
Looking into a small sushi bar with people gathered inside and a chef at the counter
Nori Maki

Butcher’s Diner

A quintessential late-night diner and burger joint, Butchers Diner puts on an impeccable spread. Grab a seat at the long communal table and trade stories about your night with new friends. Order a no-mess, no-fuss cheeseburger. Or branch out with a house made Wagyu pastrami Rueben, served with all the trimmings. Open from midday to midnight, the $2.50 cup of coffee is a no-brainer. 

Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar

If you want Melbourne in an iconic nutshell, you want Pellegrini’s. This institution encapsulates Italian Melbourne. It's coffee history, culture and hospitality in one smoky cup. Take a seat at the long, curved bar and order a bowl of simple spaghetti. Or sip a short black as you leaf through the book you just bought at the nearby Paperback Bookshop. This old-school spot is walk-in only.

A night shot of Pellegrini's building on the corner.
Pellegrini's
A small table with two chairs outside a diner
Butcher's Diner

MoVida Next Door

More relaxed than its big sister, Next Door is a regular favourite with solo diners. The tapas are small enough for you to sample a few. Perhaps zucchini and manchego croquettes and Cantabrian anchovies with tomato sorbet. Overlooking the corner of Hosier Lane and Flinders Street, book a window seat for a spell of people watching.  

Willows & Wine

What goes better with wine than cheese? A good book! You get the trifecta at Willows & Wine, a West Melbourne favourite. Peruse the shelves for your next read and order a spread for one. Bites include mushroom pâté, jaffles and gözleme. The small cheese and salumi boards come in a sampler size made for one.

An inside shot of Willows and Wine with a bar and bookshelves in view.
Willows and Wine
The exterior of a wine bar with people seated out front
Willows and Wine

Florentino

This famed Italian restaurant on Bourke Hill is an enduring staple of Melbourne’s food and culture scene. Singles should make a beeline for the laid-back sophistication of the Cellar Bar’s pastas. Think classic lasagne or a brown butter and pumpkin tortellini. Bookings are available for one in the Italian-style outdoor dining space. 

Dohtonbori

The first of its kind in Melbourne, Dohtonbori is a popular export from Japan specialising in DIY okonomiyaki. Plate up fresh cabbage pancakes at the helm of your personal teppanyaki hot plate, then load it with kimchi, lobster, pork belly and more. The Docklands location takes bookings for one. 

Inside a Japanese okonomiyaki restaurant
Dohtonbori

Caffé E Torta

Experience the old-world charm of the heritage-listed Royal Arcade at Caffé E Torta. The perfect pitstop for your shopping day. The cafe focuses on fresh produce, cooked in an authentic Italian-style. The historic fourth-generation signature bolognese tagliatelle is a must-try. It's served with a rich slow-cooked beef ragu.

Arbory Bar and Eatery

Business at the back, party at the front. Arbory is right next to platform 13 of Flinders Street Station, but faces out to the Yarra River. This outdoor bar and restaurant stretches over 100 metres of uninterrupted river frontage. Grab a stool (available for walk-ins only) and tuck into a hearty burger or classic parma.

The exterior of an ornate corner Italian restaurant there are people sitting in the window and a sign on the window saying caffe e torta
Caffé E Torta
A person is holding a tray with a burger and fries on it
Arbory

The Hardware Club

Love herb-infused cocktails, inventive Italian food and hidden spaces in equal measure? Join the club. The Hardware Club, that is. This upstairs diner is the perfect little hideaway for singles. Make a booking and snag a window seat overlooking Hardware Lane. Fresh pastas, chilli crab and chop salads await.

More spots that take bookings for one

Seats and coffee tables in Westin Hotel lobby lounge.

Lobby Lounge

Crafted cocktails and bar bites in the lobby of The Westin Melbourne Hotel.

Exterior of Myrtle Wine Bar in a laneway with plants, lighting and ornate doorway.

Myrtle Wine Bar

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Interior of Cookie restaurant showing many patrons eating at tables.

Cookie

Eclectic cocktails, beer hall and Thai eating house served in a bustling space.

Narrow cocktail bar with long couch along the wall.

Juliet Melbourne

Juliet offers cocktails and snacks in an architecturally designed, mid-century basement bar.

Interior of V Wine Salon showing shelves of wine, tables, chairs, velvet banquette seating against the wall, with a view out the window onto a city street.

V Wine Salon

The epitome of the French wine bar experience located in a gorgeous heritage building.

Dimly-lit wine bar with a low ceiling.

Dessous

Hide away for a few hours at Dessous and soak up the best of Melbourne’s wine-bar culture.

Patrons enjoying the atmosphere at a city pub at night.

Springrock Public Bar

Offering up classic counter meals, great beers and sweeping views of Melbourne.

High-backed green stools at a restaurant bar with wine bottles and glasses on display.

Farmer's Daughters

A three-storey farm-to-table venue from Alejandro Saravia, celebrating the Gippsland region.

Last updated on Fri 30 Oct 2026

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Newspaper on the bar counter and a lot of hanging glasses.

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A group of seated people enjoying glasses of wine on the outdoor terrace at Fleet Rooftop Bar, with the Melbourne city skyline in the background.

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