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.

La Salut is one of those places that gets it – even though we are unencumbered we’d still like to venture out, sit at a bar, and experience an exciting series of plates and flavours. The group behind La Salut – also behind Love, Tilly, Devine as well as Ragazzi and Fabbrica – opened this Catalan-inspired bolthole as a kind of ode to executive chef Scott McComas-Williams’ time working in Barcelona. The menu is fun and snackable; you can’t go wrong. Start with Jerusalem artichoke croqueta or prawn and tristorra (a Basque sausage) toast with sea urchin, pork neck pincho with whipped cod roe, and move on to Brussel sprouts with romesco. 305 Cleveland St, Redfern NSW. barlasalut.com

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 NSW. restauranthubert.com

Most are coupled up at this Chippendale restaurant, which has chef Mat Lindsay at the pans. It’s a special place, and only the most patient find tables. But there’s a curved bar with a view to the wood-fired kitchen and cocktail making, perfect for solo diners. There’s plenty to see and the snacks are great. The famous blood sausage sanga is a complex, delicious morsel that belies its fun name. There’s a neighbourhood but edgy vibe here, welcoming to all, and you’re likely to get a walk-in seat most days. 46-52 Meagher St, Chippendale; ester-restaurant.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 NSW. 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 NSW. star.com.au

Pellegrino 2000, which scooped the top spot in the delicious.100 rankings this year, is definitely a romantic setting. There are twinkling lights, walls filled with wine bottles, and the food is Italian. But there’s nothing wrong with romancing yourself. Snare a stool at the counter outside, which faces into the bar, or in your own lovely booth inside. Turn up at 5pm for a less coupled-up vibe, and set the tone with an Aperol spritz and your own plate of spaghetti vongole followed by a limonjello, a gorgeous segment of limoncello jelly. Fun! 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills NSW. pellegrino2000.com

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 NSW. spicealley.com.au

This Scandinavian-inspired restaurant is packed on weekends, when it’s difficult to nab one of the coveted stools at the bar. But mid-week there’s a neighbourhood bar vibe to this moody place, where a dinner for one is an easy-going affair. Sample several smaller dishes for a more eclectic dining experience – think spicy storm clam chowder or pretty-as-can-be eggs with caviar – a spin on retro devilled eggs. The menu changes weekly, but expect the likes of a fillet mignon with shiitake jus and hazelnut butter. 54 Foveaux St, Surry Hills NSW. barsuze.com

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 NSW. wheresnick.com.au