In the not-too-distant past, solo diners booking a “table for one” would be ushered to a quiet corner of the restaurant – probably right next to the toilets.

Once seated, you could expect to attract some pitying glances – or worse still, overhear the next table specualating over the reasons why you’re eating alone. “Do you think they’ve been stood up?”

These days, however, the stigma around eating alone is starting to lift. And now, with recent consumer research revealing 72% of Edinburgh residents plan to dine solo in the next year, OpenTable has launched its data-backed, inaugural list of the Top 50 Restaurant for Solo Dining in the UK.

London comes out top for solo dining hotspots, with 33 restaurants in the UK Top 50. Edinburgh is in second spot with four venues, while Glasgow completes the top three, with three entries on the list.

The Edinburgh restaurants to make the Top 50 are 3 Blind Mice (Blackfriars Street), SEN Vietnamese Dining (West Nicolson Street), Sora Lella Vegan Roman Restaurant (Brougham Street) and The Black Grape (Canongate).

“The rise in solo dining appears to reflect a growing trend of self-investment and valuing ‘me time,” says OpenTable’s Laure Bornet. “Restaurants are adapting to this cultural shift by offering countertop seating, kitchen views and varied portion sizes to create the perfect spaces for solo guests to enjoy their dining experience.”