Big rooms can go either way when you’re flying solo, but this sunny North Sydney spot gets the balance just right. The bar seating gives you a clear place to land, and a great vantage point to keep watch over the steady, exhilarating buzz of the place. You can keep things light with some Middle Eastern bread and dips, or go a bit further into the broad menu of grilled meats and seafoods, and vibrantly dressed vegie plates. Either way, there’s no pressure to rush – just excellent, generous food and a space that lets you recline into the experience. 99 Mount St, North Sydney; rafisydney.com.au

Just beyond the throng of the CBD, this lively Italian spot has a way of making a table for one feel even more exciting than a table full of friends. The bar is where you want to be; close enough to watch plates land and conversations spill out, but still tucked into your own lane. A bowl of pasta and something slightly bitter to drink and you’re set. The room does a lot of the work, carrying you along with its candlelit vibes and retro tunes, and making it very easy to settle in, order a little more than you planned and totally lose track of time. 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills; pellegrino2000.com

This relaxed dining room here makes solo dining feel completely natural from the moment you walk in. The long bar is the key, offering plenty of space and a good vantage point over the room so you don’t feel awkwardly tucked away in a corner somewhere. The pan-Asian menu helps, too. Dishes like kingfish ceviche, tom yum prawn dumplings and the Thai-inspired grilled lamb cutlets are easy to order a plate at a time, so you can build your meal as you go rather than committing to everything upfront, and the top-notch cocktails put the ‘party’ in ‘party of one’. 3 Parramatta Square, 153 Macquarie St, Parramatta; lilymu.com

A yakitori counter like this does most of the heavy lifting for you when you’re dining alone. Here at Kushi, you sit, order a couple of skewers, a bit of sashimi, some tempura and a hit of sake, and let things arrive when they’re ready. Then you watch the chefs put something new on the charcoal and order one for yourself. And then another one. It’s a rhythm that suits solo dining perfectly: no need to map anything out in advance, close enough to the grill to feel part of it, but no expectation to engage unless you want to. Shop 1/10 Belgrave St, Manly; izakayakushi.com.au

This warm Surry Hills bistro, from the team behind Arthur, has a softness to it that really suits dining alone. The lighting is low, the room is calm and inviting, and the bar is a genuinely comfortable place to settle in for an evening. Ease into things with a drink, add one or two of the inventive, produce-led dishes (the hefty pickled mussels with corn and chilli oil are non-negotiable), then take it from there. It’s the perfect place to unwind: nothing feels rushed, and there’s never any pressure to turn your dinner for one into a full three-course occasion. 478 Bourke St, Surry Hills; janesurryhills.com

Just off Kings Cross’s busiest corner, this compact yakitori spot is perfectly suited to solo diners. You order a few things – perhaps some pork belly and a couple of sticks loaded with chicken crackling – they arrive when they’re ready, and you just keep going from there. The space is warm and buzzy, with plenty going on behind the grill to keep you entertained. A plate of octopus karaage, a few skewers, maybe something to drink… it all comes together easily. Best of all, a meal at Chaco Bar unfolds the way you want it to: get in and out quickly, or let it stretch out into one of those nights you’ll remember forever. 186-188 Victoria St, Potts Point; chacobar.com.au

Just a few steps from the Avalon rockpools, this light-filled coastal restaurant showcases the kind of seaside ease that makes solo dining feel just as comfortable as lying on the beach. A couple of plates of something perfectly in season, something cold to drink… then maybe another round if the afternoon stretches out, and you’re set. There are plenty of small distractions to keep you from getting lonely, like the dancing of the sunlight, the movement of the excellent floor team and the general rhythm of the room. Whether you’re in for a quick post-swim bite or a full dinner experience, dining at Bar Elvina is less about making a plan and more about letting things unfold. Level 1/50 Old Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon Beach; elvina.com.au

Walk-ins only, a tight little room and a bar that feels like the centre of the world: this King Street favourite absolutely nails solo dining. You slide in, order something small and then just kind of see where the experience takes you. A glass of sake turns into two, a couple of dishes become a few more, and yet it never feels like too much. The staff are good at reading the mood – happy to guide or leave you to it – and that balance makes it easy to sit back and relax. Whether it’s a meal at the end of a long day, before a big night out or just for the sake of it, this place always manages to up the ante. 146 King St, Newtown; ante.bar

You know those solo dinners that start with you saying, “I’ll just get something quick”, and then you end up with six plates crowded around you? This is one of those places where it is going to happen. No question. You might kick off with something sharp and fresh – maybe some oysters dressed in ponzu – then swing straight into a plate of five-spiced fried squid or a rich curry. The flavours are big but not exhausting, so it’s easy to keep working your way through the menu. And the best bit? Not having to share your favourite dish with anyone. Shop 3/49 Gerrale St, Cronulla; natalegrouprestaurants.com/alphabet-st-cronulla

In Newtown, Continental Bar and Deli has a bistro menu that slides from snacks to more substantial, allowing the solo diner to order more as needed. This place hits all the right notes – fun tunes and team, snacks to impress, and bar seating. Perch at the bar downstairs, start with a gilda or two – a green olive, curled anchovy and pickled pepper speared on a small pick – move to steak tartare with Gaufrette potato crisps, some charcuterie, cheese, tinned scallops or razor clams, and move on to black barley, Jerusalem artichoke, broccolini, fried egg and truffle. The wine list is top notch, as are the tinned pre- mixed cocktails spanning Mar-tinny, Can-hatten and Cosmopoli-tin – get it? 210 Australia St, Newtown; continentaldelicatessen.com.au

Saint Peter’s long marble bar is the only place to sit, quite literally, at this bright and beautiful fish restaurant by Josh Niland. Spots for two and three fill quickly, but going it alone might be the best kept secret to finding a coveted seat last minute. At lunch Niland offers an a la carte menu, and a few of the snacks are pre-prepped and in prime position for checking before you order. Try the mortadella with olives, and the tuna tartare, and take heed on the most excellent advice on what wine to match with your order. 362 Oxford St, Paddington; saintpeter.com.au

The $300 omakase menu at Sokyo, which starts promptly at 6pm, is akin to having a meal and a show at once. The show itself is a subtle one: One of the city’s top sushi chefs prepares up to 23 dishes in front of six diners and hands them, one by one, over the counter directly to each of them. Scallop ravioli, then smoked scampi, then otoro nigiri, then a King George whiting “sando”; the extraordinary morsels continue through the meal. This is the definition of spoiling yourself, and it’s worth it. Level G, The Darling, 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont; star.com.au

Spice Alley is a fun, street food kind of night out. For those on a night out alone, it’s dining without the pressure – great eats, a vibrant atmosphere, and the freedom to move on without the apologies. Spice Alley adds frequently to its offerings, and some of the best right now include Kyo-to for sushi and ramen and Shanghai Dumpling Bar for rainbow coloured dumplings and excellent pot stickers . You could do a roaming dinner in Spice Alley, picking up a morsel or two from a few places, and follow it with a lemon aspen gimlet at small bar Gin Lane. Kensington St, Chippendale; spicealley.com.au

This inviting bar sandwiched between a Pizza Hut and a Fabric shop on Marrickville Road has become a beloved neighbourhood haven for Marrickville locals. Take a book (or a dog) to the Victorian velvet sofa and start with the hash browns topped with Parmesan cream and salmon roe or the tuna crudo with fermented daikon and roasted sesame. This is a wine bar first, so ask for advice on the drops and you’re likely to try something new for the first time, then vow to return again and again for more. 236 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville; wheresnick.com.au

Hubert is a place for people who love restaurants. It’s a love letter to big nights out that start at the bar, linger over a meal and live music and continue to oysters, cheese and another martini. It’s made for romantic nights out and groups, but it’s cleverly catering to those dining alone, as well. You never feel alone here. Perch at the bar, snack on XO escargot or a gruyere souffle, and watch a live show – there’s live jazz every lunch and dinner. If the wine-list or menu seem daunting, there’s a bevy of friendly bartenders in front of you to mull it over with. 15 Bligh St, Sydney; restauranthubert.com