This month sees the opening of Eenmaal, a temporary restaurant in Amsterdam that claims to be the world’s first restaurant catering purely to solo diners. No couples, no families, no groups of chattering friends allowed. Sleek, Ikea-style black desks/tables are dotted around the studiously sparse, industrial-chic space.

There’s a fixed €35 (£29) four-course menu including cocktails and wine – at Eenmaal, it definitely pays to be on your tod. Marina Van Goor, its creator, has plans to bring the pop-up to London, Paris and other European cities. “I wanted to break the perception that eating out alone isn’t very attractive,” she explains. “Solitary dining can actually be an inspiring experience, because you get a chance to disconnect for a while in our hyper-connected world.”

As an ostensibly civilised society, one of our most cherished notions is that eating should be a grand social occasion, with woolly concepts such as vibe, buzz, company and conversation functioning as digestifs. We have been berated for enjoying slovenly, un-European television dinners, and brainwashed by Bertolli adverts in which generations of bright-eyed Italians gather around the table and heap pasta on to each other’s plates. But I’ve never been convinced that this model of dining looked that much fun. I’d much rather the rest of the clan left me alone to eat my pasta and sauce in peace.