A foreign correspondent visiting Korea was refused entry at two restaurants in a row for dining alone, reigniting international debate over solo dining culture as single-person households and individualized consumption trends grow worldwide.
CNN Travel on Tuesday shared the account of one of its reporters who was turned away during a visit to Seoul for trying to eat alone. The reporter raised one finger to ask whether a table was available, but the restaurant staff shook their heads and pointed toward the exit. The same thing happened at the next restaurant.
"I was rejected for the second time simply because I was traveling alone," the reporter said, expressing bewilderment. CNN Travel noted that "while single-person households in Korea exceeded 36% in 2024, the highest on record, perceptions of solo dining remain low." The outlet also referenced a noodle shop in Seoul that stirred controversy late last year by posting a notice reading, "We don't sell loneliness, so please don't come alone."
The outlet analyzed, however, that rejecting solo diners is not uniquely Korean. In 2023, some restaurants in Barcelona, Spain, turned away individual customers under a group-priority policy, and late last year a Turkish restaurant in Liverpool, England, drew attention for refusing to seat solo diners during peak hours.
Unlike Hong Kong, where communal table culture is well developed, or Japan, where counter seating is common, Korea and parts of Europe, which have strong traditions of sharing food among groups, show relatively low acceptance of solo customers, according to the outlet's assessment.
The restaurant industry's numbers, however, point in a different direction. According to global restaurant reservation platform OpenTable, solo dining reservations in 2025 rose 19% from a year earlier, the highest growth rate among all reservation types.
Solo diners spend about $90 per visit on average, roughly 54% more than typical travelers. "Solo customers are a segment that can't be overlooked in terms of revenue contribution," OpenTable said, stressing that they can represent a new business opportunity for restaurants.
Restaurants attuned to the market shift are already adjusting their operations. New York restaurant Cervo's has created a layout where solo diners and small groups coexist naturally through a mix of bar seats and small tables, and has also expanded its selection of single-portion menu items.
Gloria Chung, a Hong Kong-based travel writer, said, "When you eat alone, your choices are fewer, but you can focus more on the taste and texture of the food. Solo dining isn't isolation — it's a way of focusing on the experience." As practical advice, she recommended choosing restaurants with counter seating, visiting before peak hours such as 11 a.m. or 5:30 p.m., and confidently requesting a single seat.
"Want to Dine Alone? That'll Be an Extra 1,000 Won" — The Reason Behind Charges Not on the Menu
