London's dine-alone restaurant - where splitting the bill isn't an option

Eenmaal plans to take stigma out of dining alone in London
Single portions: Marina Van Goor, left, and her Eenmaal restaurant in Amsterdam
Sophie Goodchild21 August 2014

A restaurant which claims to have been the first in the world to cater purely for solo diners is opening in the capital.

Marina Van Goor, the creator of Dutch eat-alone concept Eenmaal, today revealed she is looking at sites in Shoreditch.

The restaurant for singles, or foodies who enjoy their own company, will open in London by the end of this year.

The move follows the success of other Eenmaal restaurants. The version in Amsterdam has been fully booked every night and she is enjoying similar success in New York.

Speaking to the Standard, the 44-year-old entrepreneur said there is a huge demand for solitary dining in the capital: “London is ideal because it has a lot of people travelling alone for business as well as a growing one- person economy.

“I’ve already got such positive reactions to the concept, from the food scene and the creative scene as well as people working in the city.

“In a global, busy city, there’s an increasing interest in moments of disconnection.

“With Eenmaal, we have created an attractive place for such a disconnection, by eating alone at a table for one.”

Eating alone in a restaurant crowded with couples is an experience that normally only the brave would endure.

But rising divorce rates and the increase in single-person households are driving the demand for restaurants which welcome go-it-alone eaters.

There are now more than two million single people in the capital, according to figures from the National Census — a higher proportion than anywhere else in the UK.

Nearly a third of households in the capital have only one person in them — the equivalent of nearly a million people. The vast majority are aged under 65, according to the GLA Intelligence Unit.

The aim of Eenmaal — meaning “one time” or “one meal”— is to remove the stigma from dining alone and make it a positive experience.

The set menu starts with a cocktail and includes dishes prepared using organic and local ingredients.

Ms Van Goor, who initially trained as a lawyer, said she hopes to employ a British chef with a talent for creating “flavourful” dishes.

She said: “When you eat alone the food tastes different so flavour is key.”

Ms Van Goor said she may link up with a hotel for her London pop-up as finding a site has been a challenge.

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