We’re past the holiday season’s crush of gatherings, and if you’re like me, you may feel a little peopled-out. Gray weather blahs and start-of-the-year chaos can make grumps of the best of us. When you need a little break from the cacophony of humanity, pockets of peace are sacred.

Here, we spotlight five supremely chill restaurants where you can enjoy a good meal solo, and post up and read or just zone out while you dine. No televisions anchored to walls. No parties of 20. Serenity ensured. 

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• Oh so chic chow at Petit Poutinerie.

Petit Poutinerie
44 Elton St., petitpoutinerie.com
Brunch, lunch, and dinner

Though this small, French café-inspired restaurant has its lunch rushes and other busy times (read: brunch!), much of its business is carry-out, meaning it’s a good bet for lingering in peace. When you catch the Poutinerie during a slow moment, grab a seat at the bar, bask in the generous sunlight streaming through the windows, and rest your eyes on the rosy decor and floral accents. There is prosecco on tap and the staff can make a custom-flavored soda on request. Arguably, there’s no food more purely comforting than poutine, which is on the menu in ever-expanding creative variations. 

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• BITE Rochester is a center-city breakfast and lunch spot that provides a peaceful oasis amid the bustle.

BITE Rochester
90 S. Clinton Ave., biteroc.com
Breakfast and lunch



Despite being in the center of downtown, it’s easy to forget there’s a bustling city around you when you’re seated at a round high-top in the airy glass cube of BITE Rochester. Even on rainy days — maybe especially on rainy days — it’s a calm and cheerful oasis where you can nosh while gazing through the massive windows at the high rises or people-watch. The fare — burgers, tacos, wraps, and breakfast items, as well as coffee, tea, and smoothies — is satisfying and includes health-minded options.

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• A mainstay for cool, chill vibes, Java's also offers sandwiches, soups, salads, and more.

Java’s
16 Gibbs St., javascafe.com/sandwich
Lunch

When you think of Java's you think of coffee and tea, right? Try the sandwiches. You can place your order at the sandwich counter to go, but if you’ve got a minute to spare, dining solo at one of the two-tops in Java’s tearoom is a sweet experience. Sure, there’s a lot of foot traffic on Gibbs, but the tea room — which, true to its name, has an entire wall of drawers with loose tea to choose from — is somehow much calmer than the caffeinated energy of the adjoining cafe. A favored lunch spot for Eastman School of Music students and staff, artists, and hipsters, the place’s entire vibe is both cultured and chill. Soups, sides, and salads supplement the sandwiches, and menus items change regularly with some mainstays.

Natural Oasis
288 Monroe Ave., naturaloasisny.com
Lunch and dinner

One of the most reasonably priced and filling lunch buffets in town is at the Ethiopian eatery Natural Oasis, which is available for dine-in or take out. But the menu that really shines is offered at dinnertime. It includes $5 a la carte items, from stewed and spiced vegetables to gnocchi (Ethiopia was an Italian colony, so there’s some influence). The dining room best serves pairs rather than large parties, so solo diners have relative peace. Oh, and it’s BYOB, with no corkage fee.

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• Dinnertime at Shiki gets busy, but never intrusively loud.

Shiki 
1054 S. Clinton Ave., shikirestaurantrochester.com
Dinner

Tucked a small distance from the main bustle of the South Wedge and Swillburg — but within walking distance to bars and shopping — is Shiki, a Japanese restaurant serving sushi, sashimi, teriyaki, and tempura, as well as a variety of Japanese beers and sake. There are nights where the entryway has a cluster of diners waiting for a free table. But no matter how busy the place gets, conversation decibels never reach obnoxious levels. Many diners choose to fly solo at Shiki, reading newspapers or scrolling while enjoying soup, salad, and sushi platters. And there’s something so cozy about the ritual of receiving a hot, steaming towel to clean up before you dine.


 Rebecca Rafferty is CITY's life editor. She can be reached at [email protected].