Want to know our definition of happiness? A solo dining adventure at Gemini. The very model of the welcoming neighbourhood wine bar, these guys sweat the small stuff so you don’t have to: the marble bar, for instance, is set at a lower-than-usual height to facilitate chats with the super-friendly staff (fear not, introverts: they’ll leave you alone if that’s your bag). Add a pithy selection of wines by the glass and a snack-happy menu where you can graze on anything from Sydney rock oysters to beef and Comté bombas, snapper crudo and kangaroo skewers. See you at the bar. 158 Sydney Rd, Coburg; geminimelbourne.com

Let’s face it, Andrew McConnell’s impressive Melbourne restaurant stable is welcoming to solo diners no matter the venue, but there’s something that sets Supernormal apart. The pan-Asian canteen has fantastic bar seats overlooking the cooking action, for one, and you can bask in the attention of a crack team of bartenders over slippery dumplings, fiery white-cut chicken or the famous Supernormal lobster roll. The snacky section of the menu isn’t the only route to happiness: staff can also steer solo diners to half-portions of bigger dishes. All the better to keep that slow-cooked Szechuan lamb shoulder to yourself. 80 Flinders Ln, Melbourne; supernormal.net.au

The pathway to singleton dining happiness will lead you straight to the sushi counter at this Collins Place stalwart. Bespoke nigiri sushi follows the dictates of the day’s market, but is so reliably good you could set your watch to it – plus off-menu delicacies like the grilled kingfish collar are a regular offering for those in the know. Swing by at lunchtime and you’ll see the business crowd getting stuck into the two-tiered set meal, a beautifully presented jewel box of tempura, sushi, sashimi and other dainty bits and pieces. Or come for dinner, and take your pick from some of the finest sushi and sashimi in Melbourne. Shop 54-55/56 Flinders Ln, Melbourne; kenzan.com.au

Not only does this tapas bar buzz like the last train to Hurstbridge (which means you’ll never feel lonely even when you’re happily alone), its snacking game is next level. Grab a stool along the bar counter to get stuck into the kingfish pancetta, which has been a much-loved menu mainstay for the past 20 years. Add a jamon croqueta – hell, why not two? – and a glass of fino sherry while you eavesdrop on the people around you and debate whether to have the charry morcilla and pork tongue skewer, roasted sardines or oysters escabeche (our advice: have them all). 37 Little Collins St, Melbourne; barlourinha.com.au

Hotel dining can be a boring case of same-same, but Next Hotel in the swank 80 Collins development is anything but. Choose your speed: the mood-lit bar proves a Mayura Station wagyu burger and fries hits the spot with a barrel-aged negroni, while the dining room has sweetly sequestered spots to get down with executive chef Jacopo Degli Esposti’s French-Italian menu, including paccheri pasta piped with duck leg ragu, or entrecote with pomme puree so buttery, you’ll want to bathe in it. The hotel itself is the textbook definition of quiet luxury, so book a room if you really want to elevate your solo date. Level 3, 103 Little Collins St, Melbourne; nexthotelmelbourne.com

When you can’t be bothered talking to… well, anyone, but have a contrarian’s aversion to QR codes, this ramen high flyer is your answer. A tick-a-box menu lets you customise the collagen-rich pork tonkotsu broth with everything from the type of noodles you prefer to the level of spice (word to the wise: ‘God Fire Plus’ is not just a case of menu hyperbole). A student favourite that will keep you going through your two-hour accounting tutorial, it’s equally beloved by business-crowd singles who prove it’s possible to slurp with wholehearted intent, even when wearing a suit and tie. Multiple locations; gensuke.com.au

The good news is that while Tipo is always pumping, the crack team of waiters is equipped with the kind of can-do attitude that means they can always perform magic to squeeze in the solo diner. They’ll then proceed with a charm offensive that means you’ll be looked after with exquisitely familial care (and if you feel like ordering a half glass of wine, go for it). The menu mixes the joy of the old – the grilled ox tongue with pink peppercorns is one of Melbourne’s must-do dishes – with exemplary pasta that flirts with the seasons, and gives plenty of reasons to go back time and again. 361 Little Bourke St, Melbourne; tipo00.com.au

A dining companion is really just an annoying distraction at Melbourne’s finest diner in the sky. Take a kangaroo hide seat for a virtuoso degustation that dazzles from amuse bouche to dessert, with plenty of surprises thrown in. You might be invited to the kitchen to slurp down as many oysters as you desire, or out to the terrace for a billy tea, and you’ll definitely enjoy seeing damper cooked tableside. Just make sure you save some room for the cheese trolley. As for Vue’s views – whether by day or night, being 55 floors above Melbourne is an absolute show-stopper. 55 Rialto Towers, 525 Collins St, Melbourne; vuedemonde.com.au

The mesmerising glow of the binchotan charcoal-fired grill behind the bar at this robatayaki is the perfect solution to the solo-dining conundrum. Mains be damned: get your fill of things on sticks, whether that’s pork belly-wrapped enoki mushrooms, juicy chicken thighs interleaved with leek, miso-butter-glazed firefly squid or miso-marinated eggplant. Rinse, repeat. There’s also the option to stray further into the loving arms of an excellent sushi and sashimi selection, as well as beef tataki or corn in a slosh of miso butter. To drink? The staff can deliver the lowdown on one of the city’s finest sake selections. Shop 1/22-30 Lygon Street, Brunswick East; kuramelbourne.com.au

Fancy having a solo meal like you’re in a French art house movie? We recommend you beeline for Con Christopoulos’ chic wine bar. Part of his buzzing Spring Street colony of hospo businesses, City Wine Shop is the kind of place where it’s preferable to be alone – all the better to revel in those moody vibes. As for what’s on offer: the chicken schnitzel with parmesan-spiked Italian style coleslaw is legendary, but the snacky support acts earn their place, too. And you can rest assured that the wine list is guaranteed to have something that will absolutely float your boat. 159 Spring St, Melbourne; citywineshop.net.au