Siena at night?

Hi Angelina , I traveled alone all last summer. I went to Siena and sat on the terrace at Enotecca Italiana before dinner. My very handsome waiter was super helpful in sharing good wines. I ate dinner at Osteria degli Sviati in the Oco neighborhood. I had the cace e pepe and it was super yummy. On my way out, a local female introduced herself and invited me to have drink with her and her friends. They were super friendly! Granted, they were all celebrating because their contrada won the Palio the prior weekend, but they were fun and very inviting and it felt safe. Other than that, I ate alone at Osteria il Vicolo and Taverna di Cecca. Good meals. I didn't feel wierd sitting alone, but it didn't turn into a big evening of nightlife.
Katie

Thank you, Katie. Your reply was helpful.

I visited Siena a couple of times as a solo traveler, it was ok dining alone in restaurants and trattorias - especially if you show an interest in the food and culinary traditions of Tuscany and strike up a conversation with the wait staff! There's one place which is very popular with tourists, the Osteria della Chiacchiera, where diners are seated at common tables and it's easy to strike up conversations with fellow tourists from different parts of the world. In the evenings, lots of people hang out at (and on) the Piazza del Campo, and I wasn't the only person there alone. Siena is used to dealing with tourists and students from around the world, it often feels surprisingly cosmopolitan - but oddly, still very Italian and totally Sienese.

Angelina, I often travel solo and while this is from a "male perspective", I've never noticed any issues with dining alone. Especially with the current state of the economy in Italy, I doubt that any restaurateur in a city the size of Siena would turn business away. Happy travels!

Ristorante Guidoriccio, owned and managed by Ercole (in RS Italy guide, I think), is just off Il Campo. He will welcome you, speak with you, maybe even sit with you for a bit if he has a time. And great food, characteristic Sienese. Buon appetito!

Thank you all for your replies. I feel so much better now. And Gio, I will definitely check out the restaurant you recommended.

Are you ready for one more perspective? I am an American woman living in Siena. I don't feel comfortable dining or drinking alone in a restaurant in Siena because I feel like I am imposing; taking up a table. Most places are quite small and only have about 10-15 tables. Also, there is nothing sadder to an Italian than the sight of someone eating alone (that is neither here nor there, but it's the truth). One way to be less of an imposition is to eat earlier than the dinner crowd. Most groups and couples arrive around 8:30 or 9 pm and stay for 2 or more hours. So I would show up when they open for the evening and be gone by about 9 pm. Angelina, since you mentioned in a personal message to me that you would be there this summer, this will be even more important. Siena is small (55,000 people) but gets over a million tourists per year; the place is hoppin' in the summer. Another would be to meet someone or a couple over drinks at a bar, then eventually suggest you all have dinner together. It's bold but sometimes couples traveling together welcome the change of pace. As Ken mentioned, the economy is poor. Italians are not buying things as much, true, but they still are eating out. A gross generalization perhaps, but what I have found, is that senese (Sienese) value people, and good times together, over having things. After your restaurant meal, go for a walk alone. Within the city walls you are safe because of all the other pedestrians. And Siena is magical at night. Have fun! Beth Young
Siena

Somehow I think the first 7 lines of Beth's post did little to add to Angelina's self-confidence!

My husband and I were in Siena three weeks ago. He had a business related dinner one night and I opted to head out on my own. Found a most delightful restaurant called Zest right around the corner from the Sanctuary of St Catherine. I found myself very welcomed as a single and had a fabulous meal- I highly recommend the ravioli caprese. I don't agree with the previous poster who suggested there should be some "guilt" associated with taking up a table. By that same logic a party of three who sits at a table for our is doing the restaurant and injustice as well. What about a party of two who is seated at a table for four? You might consider asking at your hotel as well. I"m sure they have experience directing single travellers out for dinner and may have heard some feedback on places that don't cater to singles. To plagerize Nike Just Do It. My experience in six journeys thorugh Italy is that the VAST majority of restaurant employees are friendly welcoming and very helpful. Mangia Bene

Norma, your post was pretty funny! Beth, thank you for your suggestion. Maggie, thank you and I very much agree with you. I don't have guilt about taking up a table because I am a paying and tipping customer just as anyone else. I was once a waitress and you are so right about 2 or 4 people taking up a table for hours; a single person on the other-hand, is most likely not going to spend hours dining alone. . I have eaten alone in Italy before and have never been treated badly. However, I've never been to Siena and since I will be there for 9 nights, what I was looking to find here were suggestions for some fun places/restaurants I could go and feel more welcomed being alone.

I have no specific advice about Siena. But, as a solo male traveler, I vehemently disagree with Beth about one thing. I'm not an "imposition" to a restaurant; I'm a customer. If I feel like I'm being mistreated, pitied, or anything else negative, I leave. I think Beth's fear of "taking up a table" is her own projection. As long as she's paying and eating, she's not just "taking up space." And what other customers think is not my problem; I'm not there to entertain or please them. As I said, if the staff gives any attitude (and that's much more common in the US than in Europe), I find another place. I would certainly feel uncomfortable in a very fancy place dining alone, but on my budget, that's not a problem. I do agree that sometimes it's easier to eat earlier when alone. But even then, I've been turned away without a reservation, as places in Europe usually only have one "seating." It's not like New York, where a restaurant may have a table reserved for 9, but I can get that table at 7, since they know I'll be finished by 9. Again, if I'm turned away, I don't fret over whether they really were all reserved or are just saying that because they want a more lucrative larger party; I just find somewhere else. One thing I was very aware of in Rome: even the twosomes stood out. That's because Romans seemed to eat (particularly dinner) in groups of 4, 6 or 8. So, as a solo diner, I took comfort in the fact that the couples were in the minority, too.

I have no observations to make about solo dining in Sienna, but I often travel alone. The biggest advice I can give about this is bring a book-or e reader, and avoid romantic looking restaurants! Sienna is wonderful, I'm sure you will have a great time.

Angelina
Zest was really exceptional and I think you'd feel comfortable there. Trattoria La Torre just off the Campo is very charming and the food was very good. Nonna Gina had a very homey vibe (and great food).