Dutch Solo Dining Pop-Up Eenmaal Comes To London
Eenmaal, the world's first solo dining restaurant concept, lands in London this week from Amsterdam for a two-day stint. The sold-out ticketed event (sponsored by Glaceau Smartwater) treats diners to a three-course lunch in Soho, with each guest seated at a table for one.
Dutchwoman Marina Van Goor brings the somewhat controversial pop-up to London in hopes that people will reclaim their lunch break and disconnect properly from social and mental noise. She says, "I'm so excited to bring Eenmaal to the U.K. ... the original concept was designed to turn the negative connotation surrounding eating out alone into a positive one, as a social response to the idea that eating alone is a sign of loneliness."
Arguably, London is one of the world's more hyper-connected and distracted cities, and many in the capital welcome (or are at least intrigued by) Marina's novel pop-up offering. "I look forward to encouraging Londoners to reassess their routine, taking a moment to disconnect from our hyper connected society and enjoy the 'now' that is vital to our wellbeing," Goor says.