- Star had to leave due to restaurant’s policy
- Urged venues to be more welcoming of solo diners
- Admits she would go back despite ordeal
A Married At First Sight star has described the horror and humiliation of being kicked out of a popular restaurant simply because she was dining alone.
Claire Nomarhas was settling to enjoy a Korean barbecue feast at a packed Melbourne eatery on Sunday night but was then ordered by wait staff to leave.
The controversial TV star’s dinner plans were dashed as she was unaware of the venue’s strict minimum two-person per-table dining policy.
While Nomarhas didn’t want to name and shame the restaurant, she has called on venues to be more accepting of solo diners.
‘I waited in the queue for 25 minutes and got seated,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘After a few minutes, staff began turning on the barbecue burners and asked when my friend would join me.
‘When I said I was my own, they said I had to leave.’
The restaurant, which only accepts walk-ins, was packed with diners at the time.
‘It was embarrassing, but I wasn’t really offended or mad,’ Nomarhas added.
‘A diner on the table next to me that was celebrating a birthday reached out to me afterwards saying she felt bad about not asking me to me to join them.’
Nomarhas left without fuss but shared an Instagram story after recalling her ordeal.
‘I have never been more embarrassed in my whole entire life,’ she explains.
‘So I have no drama whatsoever going for dinner by myself.
‘I love a good meal by myself. It tells me I don’t get, I don’t get my balls broken, and I eat what the f*** I want. Happy days.
‘I am so embarrassed. What a loser.’
Three days on, Nomarhas didn’t want to shame the restaurant any further and admitted she would go back with friends.
‘I don’t want them to lose business as a lot of people are doing it tough at the moment,’ she said.
‘Looking back, I can understand why they have the policy.’
But Nomarhas pointed out that not everyone has dining companions or are happier eat alone.
‘I’m a massive foodie and I love eating alone because it means I can order whatever I want,’ she said.
‘Restaurants need to keep an open mind that not everyone is in a relationship. Imagine the shame for someone who’s told they can dine there alone and they’ve just lost their partner.’
Sydney chef Luke Mangan said solo diners are more than welcome at his venues.
‘100 per cent, I encourage it,’ he told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.
‘Both of our restaurants are in hotels so we have lots of single people staying in the rooms so we really encourage it,’ he explained.
‘When I do a restaurant, I make place for a bar because single diners want to sit at the bar and talk the barman.’
‘It’s not as big here in Australia as it is in the States but it’s really important we look after the single diners because they can bring back a big group of people in a week’s time.
‘I’m surprised people are turning this business away.’
Mr Mangan is opening a new restaurant in Sydney this weekend.
He extended an open invitation to Nomarhas to enjoy a lunch or dinner as a solo diner at one of his restaurants.
‘Tell me what time and I’ll be there,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
