In 2025, most people have made living in the most efficient, quick, timely, and effective manner their ultimate goal and something of an extreme sport.

The art of taking one’s time, of savouring routine, of reconnecting with the beauty of the mundane, of disconnecting, appreciating, and taking a step back to what things might have felt before the mania of ultimate accomplishment.

Among these routines exists the practice of daily meals. Resisting the temptation to devour delicious meals the second they are placed in front of you must be one of the top five things in life that defy all natural instinct—I’ll let you come up with the others.

However, more recently, I’ve had the opportunity to explore many new cuisines and dining venues, high-end and low-end restaurants, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends, or even at home or in the house of a loved one. The solo experiences, more than others, have slowly but surely been turning into extended hours of savouring multiple dishes over many hours.

There is something to be said about the emotional and visceral aspect of dining that doesn’t get enough “hype”, for lack of a better word.

Everything from looking at the food, understanding its composition and presentation on the platter, the delighted commentary that follows, and the slow savouriness of the meal enhances the experience I’m trying to describe.

This article by Rebecca Robin describes the art of slow dining as nourishing as the meals themselves, and I couldn’t agree more. As I researched the concept, the words used to describe the experience of slow dining included “immersive,” “transformative,” and “premium dining.”

As much as the above may lead one to believe that slow dining needs to be conducted outside of the home, at some sort of expensive restaurant or eating destination every time the mood strikes, I’m here to inform that that perspective would be incorrect.

You can most certainly adapt the art of slow dining within the four walls of your home, even on a budget if you have to. Because let me tell you, if there is anything that further improves and enhances the eating aspect of dining, it’s the slow preparation. Even this aspect of food is equally enjoyable solo or with company. Talking, studying recipes, refining your technique each time, sharing stories, laughing, enjoying a cocktail, all within the comfort and security of your own space, is a top-tier lifestyle experience that, in my humble opinion, is hard to beat.

That said, I compiled a short list of things you can do to recreate the art of slow but fine dining wherever you are.

THE ART OF SLOW DINING

Decide if you care.

I don’t mean to be abrupt, but to be perfectly honest, to succeed and enjoy any aspect of life, you do have to start with care, interest, and genuine enjoyment. I’m assuming that, perhaps, you do, given that you’ve made it this far in a random lifestyle blogger’s post. But the point is that one has to LIKE the “thing” to want to actually go through and execute “the thing,”  whatever that may be. In this instance, the art of food, nourishment and gastronomical delight.

It may seem pretentious and shallow to some, but it is a perk of life that occurs when all other survival necessities are taken care of.

Choose a cuisine you genuinely enjoy.

Don’t start venturing into any food for the first time if you’ve never had any inclination, interest, or inspiration about the cuisine. If you like pasta, stick with pasta. Don’t be out in the streets devouring the pungent flavours of exotic flavours that have mostly scared you before.

The goal of this post isn’t to drive anyone away from their natural tendencies. You do you, boo-boo. But if you are venturing into the slow dining space, I would advise starting with a type of food you like.

Prioritize ambience.

My experience so far has illustrated that the desire to spend an extended period of time in the selected location is a major contributor to the optimal slow dining experience.

The lighting, the seating, the music, and the general mood of the service staff—believe me—all make a difference to the final effect.

Research the food, restaurant, reviews, and menus beforehand.

If location, preparation, and reputation are at the core of your slow dining needs, then I would suggest doing some real research before you step out. It doesn’t need to take hours—all you really need to do is spend a few minutes deciding the food, mood, and overall experience that you are looking for and then using Google (or ChatGPT) to point you in the right direction.

(Also, ensure you make the reservations far enough in advance so that you are not in a pickle on your selected evening.)

Embrace the solo dining experience.

I’ve been doing this a lot lately and could not recommend it more. All you need is a hobby or two that you can take with you – reading, your computer – and then spend a few hours at a restaurant of your choice enjoying a tasting menu, a selection of appetizers, or a seven-course meal.

As much as the company can enhance the experience, not having someone else there to converse with or distract you from the food is an indulgent experience all its own. Or maybe that’s just the introvert in me talking.

Cook.

Nothing quite says slow dining like staying home and starting from scratch. I recently ended up down a rabbit hole on YouTube of a certain stay-at-home food content creator who absolutely blows my mind with her passion, interest, skill and sheer talent with recreating any of her husband’s expensive restaurant cravings.

It may be time to bring the art of fine dining back into the four walls of our homes.

Don’t start from a ravenous state.

Nothing great ever comes from desperation, mental, physical or emotional – So do yourselves a favour and don’t embark on any dining experience that begins with raw, unadulterated, hunger.

The goal of the exercise will be nullified; it will all happen at light speed, and all that will be remembered of the experience is that speedy satisfaction of your most primal needs.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope what you have read has somehow educated, informed, or inspired you.

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