I LOVE eating alone, but I hate eating alone in public. I love nothing more than eating alone in my house, on my schedule and cooking for myself and all that. But eating in a nice restaurant alone? Hate it. It’s not that I can’t amuse myself with my own thoughts or that I need constant stimulation, it’s that I hate the feeling of being looked at and judged by other people. That feeling of people pitying me. Can’t stand it. But Rami Malek is different. This week, Rami – who just won the Best Actor Oscar two months ago – went out by himself in New York and had a nice meal.
Rami Malek doesn’t need an entourage. The “Bohemian Rhapsody” star was spotted dining alone at the bar of new Chelsea hotspot La Central in Hotel Americano on Monday, an insider told Page Six. We hear the Acadamy Award winner enjoyed ceviche, pork tacos and Brussels sprouts while sipping on a glass of Vinyes Singulars.
“He dined alone” and “was super humble and wonderful with the staff,” the source said.
Malek, who was in the area shooting for his show “Mr. Robot,” mostly kept to himself and wasn’t bothered by other patrons, but we’re told he did take one phone call as he ate.
The 37-year-old actor has been making the rounds in the city this month. He was spotted filming “Mr. Robot” in Nomad, taking in a Mets game with girlfriend Lucy Boynton, and grabbing casual drinks with pals at a downtown bar.
Oooh I feel like I’m breaking out in hives just thinking about how he might have felt. It must be even worse if you’re a celebrity dining alone – people are looking at you because you’re alone and because you’re famous. That would irritate the f–k out of me. I guess Rami was okay though. Pork tacos and ceviche and Brussels sprouts… kind of a weird grouping, but sure.
Photos of Rami at the Time 100 event on Tuesday night, courtesy of Backgrid.
Why on earth would people pity you or judge you for eating alone? I don’t go out much alone because I prefer to be sitting in sweats doing my own thing, but never have I looked at someone and pitied them because they were alone. Maybe because I’ve been single for quite awhile, and I would never be able to do anything otherwise if I had to wait for someone to join me. How weird that society feels we need to be with someone in order to be whole. I’d rather be alone than be with someone just for the sake of being with anybody.
I know I used to feel sad for old people dining alone in restaurants when I was a teen. I am kind of a pessimistic person so i always assumed sad stories haha
I felt the same way as a teen, but now I love eating out alone when I travel for work. I can just read a book or sit at the bar and read Celebitchy the whole time while having a delicious meal not on my dime!
Omgoodness, was single for years during my 20s&30s and did so much alone. While I’m now married w/child 💞 and feel fulfilled, have to give credit to those years of singledom adding/leading to fulfillment. Cherish the time living on my own back then💞
I eat alone nearly every day! And I sometimes eat alone at restaurants when I want to treat myself. Often I’ll bring work. But sometimes I just want a great meal and people waiting on me. I certainly don’t feel sad. I feel relieved! And pampered.
Wow. So you’re saying famous people are just like us? How can it be??
Maybe he was staying at that hotel? I’m totally comfortable dining in the hotel bars/restaurants when i’m staying there, but not so much just a random restaurant. I get self conscious.
Here in northern Cal, his menu items seem pretty normal. Like maybe a choice of several small plates.
I LOVE going out to eat alone. Can go where I want on my own schedule and order what I want and just chill with a book or newspaper or my own thoughts. Maybe because I’ve done a lot of solo business travel and there’s only so much room service you can eat, but it doesn’t bother me. I’ve never felt like people are judging me and even at nice places I’m rarely the only solo diner.
“even at nice places I’m rarely the only solo diner”
honestly, I feel like EVERY time I’m out to dinner, I see at least one person eating alone. TBT, sometimes I’m a little jealous…lol…I love reading while I eat!
I love going out to eat by myself.
And movies? I do not go to movies with other people. I love to go to movies, I go by myself, and it’s my time to get utterly lost in the on-screen story. It’s a mini-vacation for me. If I had someone with me, I’d view it as an interruption of my focus. I just want to fall into the film and be present for the story. I don’t go to movies for company.
Dinner at a restaurant is different. I enjoy having company if anyone wants to go to a restaurant with me and I enjoy being by myself otherwise.
Either way, I don’t care if people look at me or not. If I’m by myself, I’m too busy reading and enjoying my food to notice if others are looking at me. I have had wait staff comment on how much fun I seem to be having with my book and my dinner, which is very sweet. But other diners? Eh. I don’t pay attention.
I love going to movies alone. I usually go to a bargain day movie and buy the seat next to me as well, so I have my own bubble of alone.
I never minded eating along, at home or out. I remember, in college, people being all “I can’t go to the dining hall ALONE!!!!” and I was like why not? You can read the paper, study for your next class, do homework, etc. I never once worried about what other people might think about me eating alone, nor do I judge anyone who eats alone. AND I’ve seen couples out together who are each reading a book. no shame, no judgement. to be clear, I understand WHY people would feel pitied, but you shouldn’t. YOU DO YOU, Kaiser!
I love going out with a big group of friends but sometimes that’s not what you want.
As a mom of 2 kids under 5, I would loooove to eat alone in a restaurant. My husband can stay at home lol
I was travelling for business once and had a big layover in a big airport. I went to the nicest place I could find and had a steak dinner. Quietly sipped a beer, enjoyed my meal and savored it, read a magazine, scrolled through my phone and just had a peaceful meal. I still reminisce about it! I also love going out for lunch alone. Everyone in my office is super social at lunchtime and loves to go out together but there are times when I just want to decompress for that hour and eat something in silence. I’d never look on someone sadly or pityingly for eating alone because it’s luxurious sometimes!
YES. Every meal that I can have without someone touching me or whining because they don’t like what’s on their plate is the best. Sometimes when my husband thinks I’m at yoga after work I’m actually eating a delicious meal alone in a restaurant, hahaha. I mean, he just assumes Wednesdays are for yoga, but they aren’t always lol
Nobody judges you if you sit at the bar. That’s the normal spot for single diners in a restaurant. Treat Yo Self!
Yes!! His back was to the other diners, and his “company” was the staff. That’s, like, the best way to sample the food at a hot new restaurant, to be honest—sit right up front and ask questions!!
Like the commenter above said…I have been single for a long time and if I don’t do it alone I don’t get to go..no pity just life
I also love eating alone! It’s never bothered me at all – it’s so enjoyable who cares what other people think!
Like everyone else – you can read, people watch, truly enjoy your food – it really is the best.
Nothing wrong with eating alone. I’ve done it many times and I’ve never judged or pitied anyone else who was eating alone. I also have no problem eating in a parked car…alone ! It’s relaxing.
OMG,I can NEVER eat out or go to the movies alone.Im a pretty confident woman,but i just can’t eat in a public space alone.The pitying part comes cause if you’re around a group of people and you see a person eating Alone,one automatically thinks maybe someone cancelled on them & you just take pity on them🤷🏼♀️
I just assume they are either in town on business or just want time alone.
@Adorable- Ahhh, I think you may have been conditioned to think that way because it’s how movies usually portray lone diners. With the many freedoms we enjoy, seeing a person eating alone shouldn’t “automatically” mean “maybe someone cancelled on them.” There can be so many different reasons why they are alone (one is they may actually prefer to be). I view dining alone as an indulgence many of us rarely get to experience. Society’s expectations have evolved due to diverse occupations, activities and hours we keep. I’d rather save my pity for things I know, not for things I imagine.
You’re a “pretty confident woman” and yet you can’t go the movies alone?? Where you’re in the dark, and no one else in the theater cares? I cannot comprehend this stuff. That does not read as confident to me.
I never considered myself as super confident and I have dined alone, gone to movies and concerts alone, even bought season tickets to the theater alone. I agree with Lolly, I missed out when I was younger because I was looking for someone who had a shared interest and sometimes that doesn’t happen. Not all friends have the time, money or desire to do what I like, so it’s miss out on doing something I enjoy or take myself out. I have never regretted or felt bad about the things I do alone, I am always glad to know I can enjoy my own company. I know so many women who did not do things they like because they are afraid of doing them alone and to me that’s sad.
“Alone,one automatically thinks maybe someone cancelled on them”
That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. The world is not a rom com or sad single story. The world is full of happy people enjoying meals eating alone!!
Famous or not, there’s only so much room service you can eat.
I love the Mr, but I love my solo time too – it’s extended over the years from just meals, galleries and shows to include holidays – just getting to indulge in myself and what I want to do/eat/see. I guess I’m just selfish or lucky or both?!
Love my alone time
I’m an only child and also often a solo business traveler. Not only do I not have an issue eating in public alone — I find it incredibly relaxing. I also love going to the movies alone — it’s fun to go with someone else, yes, but not at all necessary. I like that I have the ability to do what I want, even if no one else is interested.
I’m in the “eating alone is relaxing” camp. I traveled solo to Vienna nine months ago and I think the best night I had was just sitting outdoors for dinner, in the cool balmy night air. I was conspicuously alone (and foreign), but it allowed me to people-watch without staring or being creepy. I was just the American lady in the corner of the terrace. It was nice!
PLUS if you take a notepad to dinner, you can make it look like you’re maybe a food reviewer! Just look quizzically at your food after each bite.
I love eating out alone. LOVE IT!!! It’s such a wonder “me” time. I can just sit there, truly enjoy my food and drink, plus catchup on some reading on my phone. 🙂