Jethro Soudant/istock Tables for one have gone up 62% in the last year, according reservations site OpenTable. 
 
 One isn’t the loneliest number. 
 
 People that enjoy dining alone are in good company. Tables for one have gone up 62% in the last two years nationwide, according to reservations site OpenTable. 
 
 New York ranks fourth among cities experiencing the strongest growth in solo reservations. Dallas is number one, followed by Miami and Denver, with Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Chicago coming in behind New York. 
 
 "Solo diners are taking every opportunity to visit top restaurants whenever they get the opportunity. From communal and counter seating to table service, restaurants are welcoming parties of one with open arms,”said Caroline Potter, a spokeswoman at OpenTable, in a statement. 
 
 The website reveals the top 25 restaurants that get the most booked tables for one. Michelin-starred Aureole in Midtown and Wine 30 in Murray Hill made the cut. 
 
 “Most of our people who eat alone sit at the bar, but we’ve had a few people who like to sit at the tables and order full meals,” says Jackson, a bartender at the Murray Hill restaurant and wine bar which gets around two solo reservations per night, not including walk-ins. 
 
 For years, eating alone got a bad rap associated with being lonely and single. The 2004 classic “Mean Girls” showed us the fear of eating alone in the highschool cafeteria. But now, the tables are turning as diners become more comfortable — and confident with — the party of one. 
 
 Ambiance, out door seating and good music make eating solo preferable for Astoria resident Kelly Maxwell, who favors Fanelli Cafe in Soho. 
 
 “I used to call it the Steven Glansberg,” says Maxwell, referring to the character who eats alone in the cafeteria in “Superbad.” 
 
 “Now I realize how relaxing and enjoyable it is — especially in nice weather outside. I do it once a week,” she adds. 
 
 jsettembre@nydailynews.com 

 SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- An analysis by OpenTable, the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations and part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN), reveals that reservations for parties of one have grown nationally by 62 percent, making them the fastest growing table party size. 
 
 The findings indicate that the stigma surrounding dining solo may be starting to lift and that consumers are eager to savor unique culinary experiences alone. OpenTable's analysis also showed that among major metropolitan areas, in rank order, Dallas, Miami, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Chicago have experienced the strongest growth in reservations for one. 
 
 "As dining out has become one of our national pastimes, solo diners are taking every opportunity to visit top restaurants whenever they get the opportunity, much as they might attend a sporting event or show," said Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer at OpenTable. "Solo dining is about treating yourself to a delicious experience and savoring every bite. From communal and counter seating to doting table service, restaurants are welcoming parties of one with open arms." 
 
 In celebration of solo dining and the restaurants that cater to them, OpenTable also released the Top 25 Restaurants for Solo Diners in U.S. The alphabetical list was generated based on the restaurants most booked for tables of one and the "overall" star-ratings associated with reviews submitted by verified diners as well as our restaurant experts' recommendations. Diners can read more about the solo dining trend by visiting the OpenTable blog. 
 
 2015 Top 25 Restaurants for Solo Diners in America 
 
 5Church – Charlotte, North Carolina Atlantic Fish – Boston, Massachusetts Aureole – New York, New York Blackbird – Chicago, Illinois Bimini Twist – Miami, Florida Church & State – Los Angeles, California Cinghiale – Baltimore, Maryland Founding Farmers – Washington, D.C. Giada- The Cromwell – Las Vegas, Nevada Gordon Ramsay Steak-Paris Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House – Chicago, Illinois Juniper & Ivy – San Diego, California La Chaumiere – Washington, D.C. Little Bird – Portland, Oregon Lola - A Michael Symon Restaurant – Cleveland, Ohio Lüke – New Orleans, Louisiana Mama's Fish House – Paia, Hawaii Mon Ami Gabi – Las Vegas, Nevada MUA – Oakland, California Parc – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Parkside Seafood House – Lafayette, Indiana Rioja – Denver, Colorado SkyCity – Seattle, Washington South City Kitchen Midtown – Atlanta, Georgia Wine 30 – New York, New York 
 
 About OpenTable: OpenTable, part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN), is the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations, seating more than 17 million diners per month via online bookings across more than 32,000 restaurants. The OpenTable network connects restaurants and diners, helping diners discover and book the perfect table and helping restaurants deliver personalized hospitality to keep guests coming back. The OpenTable service enables diners to see which restaurants have available tables, select a restaurant based on verified diner reviews, menus, and other helpful information, and easily book a reservation. In addition to the company's website and mobile apps, OpenTable powers online reservations for nearly 600 partners, including many of the Internet's most popular global and local brands. For restaurants, the OpenTable hospitality solutions enable them to manage their reservation book, streamline their operations, and enhance their service levels. Since its inception in 1998, OpenTable has seated more than 885 million diners around the world. OpenTable is headquartered in San Francisco and available throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the UK. 
 
 OpenTable, OpenTable.com, OpenTable logos, and other service names are the trademarks of OpenTable, Inc. and/or its affiliates. 
 
 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150228/178602LOGO 
 
 SOURCE OpenTable, Inc. 

 Making a dinner reservation for one may be the healthiest choice a diner can make. If you're worried you'll be judged for eating alone, don't be: Over the last two years, online reservation service table OpenTable has seen a 62 percent increase in tables for one throughout America. 
 
 "Solo diners are taking every opportunity to visit top restaurants whenever they get the opportunity," said Caroline Potter, a chief dining officer and spokeswoman at OpenTable, in a statement. "Solo dining is about treating yourself to a delicious experience and savoring every bite. From communal and counter seating to doting table service, restaurants are welcoming parties of one with open arms." 
 
 Out of all 50 states, New Yorkers rank fourth on the cities with the greatest increase in lone diners, with Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and Chicago diners trailing behind. Meanwhile, Dallas, Miami, and Denver are the top three cities with the greatest growth in dinner reservations for one. 
 
 A healthier dining experience? 
 
 The lead esearcher at Cornell Food Brand Lab Brian Wansink describes a previous study in his book, Mindless Eating:Why We Eat More Than We Think, that was designed to test for the possible health benefits of eating alone. Researchers set up a series of lunches with pizza, cookies, and soda for a group of random participants. First, participants were asked to eat alone as they were being observed, and their food was weighed and measured by on-looking scientists. On a separate occasion, those same participants were giving the same lunch, but placed in groups of four or eight other people. 
 
 When participants were eating alone, they either ate very little or a significant amount of food. But when they were placed in groups, the light eaters ate more and the heavy eaters ate less; Wansink calls this “the power of norms.” So for example, if you normally eat one slice of pizza, but the group you're with eats more than one slice, then this power suggests you’re more likely to nibble on a second slice. And if you normally eat a few slices pizza alone, then you might eat a couple slices less when eating in a group. 
 
 People compare their eating habits to others, and tend to even mimic not only how much they eat, but also the speed at which they eat. In every group of diners, whether it’s a couple out on a date or a dinner party of twelve, Wansink said that each diner with and near you can become an undercover pacesetter. Wansink explained that the pacesetter subtly suggests to their unsuspecting dining partner the amount and speed that’s appropriate to eat. This, again, suggests heavy eaters may eat better with a group, whereas light eaters may eat best when they're alone. 
 
 Yet, no matter what kind of eater you are, seeking solitude over a plate of pasta is beneficial for the mind. According to psychologist Dr. Sherrie Bourg Carter, being alone gives the brain a chance to “reboot,” or rest and replenish itself. There are less distractions, which gives you the chance to clear your mind, focus, and think more clearly (provided you put your phone on silent). 
 
 “If you regularly go out to lunch, don't think that it always has to be with others,” Boug Carter told PsychologyToday. “Once a week or even just a couple of times a month, commit to spending lunch with yourself. Walk. Sit in the sun outside. Go to a park and eat. Enjoy the time you have alone.” 
 
 Source: OpenTable, Inc. 2015.
– Dining by yourself used to get you seated with a pitying glance and free refills on your self-consciousness, but America, it seems, has largely gotten over itself on that count: Reservations for one have shot up by some 62% over the past two years, reports OpenTable in an analysis of reservations made online through its service. That suggests less stigma and more focus on "treating yourself to a delicious experience and savoring every bite," says an OpenTable exec. "Solo diners are taking every opportunity to visit top restaurants whenever they get the opportunity." Metro areas seeing the biggest increase, are, in order: Dallas, Miami, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and Chicago. Not only is dining alone on the rise, but it might actually be healthier for some of us, reports Medical Daily, citing research out of Cornell University. When eating in a group, we tend to pick up on "pacesetters"—cues from our dining companions as to how much and how quickly we eat. Researchers found that light eaters tend to eat more in groups, while heavy eaters eat less, making solo dining more ideal for the former and group dining better for the latter. Quantity of food or pace aside, eating alone is a good way to get a reboot, a psychologist tells Medical Daily. "I used to call it the Steven Glansberg," one diner tells the New York Daily News, referring to a Superbad character who eats lunch alone every day. "Now I realize how relaxing and enjoyable it is." (Now if only waiters would stop this rude practice.)