Every city comes with a million recommendations from locals and travelers alike, filling up most of your itinerary with so much food that there’s no way you’ll make it home without an extra pound. I had about 15 restaurants to hit during my two days in Providence, and while that wasn’t even a little plausible, I narrowed down a few of the places I felt most comfortable dining alone, from casual to formal, should you ever find yourself in need of a bite in Rhode Island’s capital city.

Small Point Café

Small Point Café, housed in the Downcity Arts district between Symposium Books and the Queen of Hearts clothing boutique, has been around since 2010 and it’s easy to see why there’s a constant hum of customers and activity. In addition to a stellar coffee menu brewing fair-trade beans, there are plenty of breakfast and lunch sandwiches to sustain your afternoon exploration.

Most of the sitting customers were art students meeting for group projects, solo flyers typing away on their laptops, or a pair or trio catching up over chai. Sitting down to breakfast or lunch on your own won’t even get a second blink, but I felt very comfortable asking others patrons for the wifi information or other restaurant recommendations. Rhode Islanders are happy to share about their state.
 

The Duck & Bunny

I went on a day where the wait staff was very “dude-heavy,” as Mike the barista informed me once I inquired. An adorable “snuggery,” as they call it, their specialty is cupcakes and afternoon tea, which struck me as slightly hilarious considering everyone working there was a guy in all black with tattoos and facial hair.

I sat at the barista bar with a cheese and spinach crepe for brunch, and was surprised by the flurry of activity at 11 a.m. on a weekday. The phone was ringing off the hook and customers were coming in and out of the door for cupcakes to go. The barista’s friends filtered in and out as well, making it easy to integrate myself into conversation. It was a wonderful, welcoming experience in a light and bright environment.
 

Birch

Birch was a restaurant that changed my life while in Providence. It came with glowing reviews from both the tourism board and locals I met around town, and I was not disappointed. Expect a much more formal dining experience than at breakfast cafes or lunch spots: the eighteen-seat, 500-square-foot dining room makes for immediate intimacy. If you aren’t used to dining alone, this may be a good setting for you. Close quarters with strangers means less awkward stares and more casual conversation when you’re literally brushing shoulders.

The space itself is beautiful and a mix of modern and rugged. A large mirror is angled from the ceiling, which doubles the space through the reflection and bouncing light. The two bartenders for the night were also the two waitresses, happily chatting to each other and to dinner guests. With the U-shaped, counter-height table surrounding the bar, everything goes on right in front of you. Behind the scenes commonalities—servers drying and returning silverware to storage—somehow adds to the experience rather than detract from it. Friendly protesters at a theatre across the street provided some short term dinner engagement while I snacked on my pre-appetizer, a gift from the kitchen—an absurdly good crispy asparagus spear, dipped in the dreamiest garlic cream. It was exactly what I was hungry for, and I could have eaten ten.

The lone asparagus spear set the stage for an unforgettable meal. As a vegetarian, I had one (occasionally two) selection for each course of the four-course meal, but I thoroughly enjoyed three of them, which I count as a success. Dessert almost came in second behind an heirloom cornmeal dish with mustard flowers and some other deliciousness with vegetable broth, but the cherry blossom jam tart with beeswax ice cream took the cake, if you will. It would appear that gifts from the kitchen are frequent—I finished my meal with a melt-in-your-mouth homemade whoopie pie placed in front of me. Once I realized everyone around the table was receiving one, I loved the lack of exclusivity. Everyone feels special leaving Birch.

A sprawling, late nineteenth-century home comes up on my right, painted thick with a jewel-toned eggplant. I don’t even glance at the GPS. You can’t miss The Gilded Hotel.

Lark Hotels’ newest Newport destination stands out like a swan in a paddling of ducks. Eye-catching around every corner, the patterns and colors are a feast for the eyes and for Instagram. Whimsical touches like birdcage chandeliers, leopard-print rugs, and metallic lion statues fill the space with an eccentric mod and art deco design. I love it immediately. It feels like I’ve stepped into the home of one of Johnny Depp’s larger than life characters.

The hotel is located on an ideal corner, just far enough away from the crowds to be sleepily silent at night. It’s a ten minute walk to the restaurants and shops along the docks, which I end up doing regularly since there’s so much to see. I find a lot of the hidden gems on the hotel’s convenient itineraries on my complimentary iPad—it’s mine for the duration of my stay, and between the scavenger hunt for free nights and list of recommendations, I put it to good use.

Gilded's free breakfast the next morning is beautiful, small plate dishes like rosemary-basil frittata and blueberry-banana yogurt parfaits. I’m surprised to see the presentation efforts—most hotel breakfasts are DIY waffles and tubes of dry cereal.

The concierge tells me I’m in the best room in the hotel, which I understand since it isn’t quite high season for tourists. After a long day of travel and exploration, I’m extremely grateful for the fireplace and bathtub. The bathroom is one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen, especially for a hotel. The bed might be deserving of its own blog post—I can easily say it was the best hotel bed I’ve ever slept in. I’m a person that likes to have a lot of blanket weight on top of me when I sleep, and the linens on my Gilded bed were what marshmallow bed dreams are made of.

Upon checkout, I feel like I’ve been at Gilded for much longer than one night. The welcoming and tailored experience makes me wish I were staying a full week more. Next time, I decide as the giant plum estate disappears in my rearview mirror, I just might.

Thank you to Lark Hotels for hosting my stay.

“I fall into a flow of personal distance among strangers when I’m home. Sometimes I feel like I’m a better version of myself when I’m away, whether I’m asking for help or learning someone’s story.”

Most questions I get about my travels are why I go it alone. I get inquiries from girls all over the world asking for tips and advice on how or what it’s like to travel on my own, which thrills me to hear that so many of you are interested in doing it. Besides my most worthwhile advice to just do it, I’ve compiled a list of the best and worst things I've felt about solo travel that might be on the minds of the dreamers out there.

Pros

Total freedom

When you travel with a friend or your family, people are bound to have differing opinions and itineraries. Even with plans in place, so much of a positive experience in a new place is listening to your instincts and allowing for modifications. I’ve been en route to coffee shops before and run into a local on the way, who of course knows the best place to get a cappuccino, and off I go on an unplanned route for a better cup of coffee. Trying to accommodate everyone’s needs and interests when traveling with a group often becomes a stressful challenge.

Total immersion

Strolling city streets or hiking a trail alone leaves no room between you and your adventure. Traveling with another individual or group automatically puts the priority on the relationship, and a lot of time is spent in conversation or thinking about things back home because you have that familiar connection. You might miss a scene or a sight that could have enhanced the experience. Of course, traveling with another person can often enhance your travel experience, but that’s not always the case. There's a lot to be learned about yourself on a lonely road, whether you're twenty years old or fifty. Self-discovery is a lovely and powerful thing.

Vulnerability

I’m very intentionally making this a pro because it’s a good way to grow. If you’re scared of going somewhere by yourself, so what? Get over it. If you’re not comfortable spending time with yourself, how are you even a person right now? To quote the very wise Samantha Jones, you’ve been in a relationship with yourself for 24 years (replace with your own age), and that’s the one you need to work on. By principle, solo travel makes you take care of yourself. If you’re traveling alone, you have to eat and you have to get places, and you’ll have to do it all yourself. You might even realize you enjoy the time alone.

Cons

More expensive

One of the great joys of traveling with a friend is splitting the cost of lodging. Whether you’re camping or living the suite life, being able to split the pricey cost of an overnight stay is definitely something to think about if you’re looking to travel on the cheap. However, traveling solo does give you more flexibility with options for where to stay, since all you basically need is a twin bed and a roof over your head.  Plus, you can cut costs in other areas like food or public transportation since you’re the one making all the decisions.

Loneliness

Honestly, unless you’re intentionally going to get away from it all, social media and strangers easily solve this problem. I’m constantly on Snapchat and Instagram while I travel to share the experience with my friends, family, and you, and it makes me feel like the world is right there with me. The other thing is being on your own often lends itself to conversation much more easily. People are more inclined to be kind to a single pleasant soul perusing the menu, asking for recommendations for what to eat or where to go than someone sitting in their own little world with a friend.

Safety

I was hesitant to add this one to the cons list, because traveling alone is technically no more unsafe than traveling with a girlfriend, especially abroad. However, it’s the anticipation and the anxiety about traveling alone that makes it a con. It is scary to think about being out there with no one to take care of you, but that’s essentially what you do when you leave home for the first time. You’re heading out into the unknown. You can still call your mom if you need to. Doing it in an unfamiliar city or country makes you just makes you braver for it.

All of this is to say that I’m a big proponent of traveling alone and enjoy it thoroughly. It’s not for everyone, but if it’s ever crossed your mind, I encourage you to book a ticket to that place you’ve always wanted to go and start putting together an itinerary. It’s just as liberating as you think it’s going to be.