I also hate eating out alone and try to avoid it if I can. I've always ate out with my parents, friends or even strangers (e.g. sitting next to a stranger at t

I also hate eating out alone and try to avoid it if I can. I've always ate out with my parents, friends or even strangers (e.g. sitting next to a stranger at the university's cantine and making small talk). Curiously I've never realised I hated it until I had to eat out alone for the first time, very late in life. I was doing a job interview in another city, involving an overnight stay and couldn't find a take away, for some reason. I wandered into a nice, cozy, dimly lit restaurant, the kind you would go on a typical date or romantic evening, I suppose. I felt really awkward and anxious by being alone. Curious thing.