Reservations for one?

Hi

I am going to be travelling solo and have a list of some places to eat for lunch/dinner. Most are casual small bistro types, but 1 or 2 are nicer. Do I need to make a reservation for just one person or am a pretty safe just popping in? Also- I prefer to sit outside when possible- does this make a differenece? Am I more or less likely to get an outside table if I am just one person? If I want an outside table am I better of reserving- or maybe they won%26#39;t even seat me outside if I am just one person? What do you recommend?

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You should have no problems getting a table for one anywhere if space is available. If it%26#39;s a popular restaurant, you%26#39;ll need reservations, otherwise no.

Some smaller restaurants have a common table where they just drop you in with other random diners.

Sitting outside. Cafes commonly have multi-price tiers. The closer you are to the outside, the higher the prices of the drinks go. I%26#39;m not sure if I%26#39;ve seen restaurants do this though.

It seems like some folks in this forum meet and hook up with each other for meals, if their schedules mesh. That could be fun.

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I don%26#39;t think I%26#39;ve ever heard of a restaurant charging one price for an inside table and another for one on the terrace. And AFAIK Paris cafes have two price tiers - one if you stand at the counter and another higher one if you sit at a table, no matter where you sit.

En principe, as they say in France, you should have no trouble booking a table for one. But it is certainly true that restaurants prefer multiples of two, and some might not be as gracious as they should be to a single diner. Lunch would probably be easier than dinner, and in most places you should have no problem at all.

When you do make a reservation just tell whoever you are speaking to that you prefer a table %26quot;sur la terrasse%26quot; or %26quot;a l%26#39;exterieur.%26quot; Benoit, like many other restaurants, has no outside tables, I think.

Thinking about this, my feeling is that you might get better treatment if you reserve - even if only a couple of hours in advance, but I really don%26#39;t know if that is right. Just a hunch...