Welcome to my solo series where I take you along my solo adventures and teach you how you can do it too! Our first stop is Bazaar Mar in Las Vegas. If you’ve been following me for a while now, you know that I really love a good deal and I love sharing it with all of you. You’ve probably also noticed that I do a lot of my travels solo and all of you have been so supportive on Instagram and TikTok that it has really inspired me to get back to blogging again. I’ll still be posting my adventures on social media, but for my OG followers who like more step-by-step detail, this is for you!

• Related Article: First Look: New Amex 1850 Lounge at Aria Las Vegas

 

What Will My Solo Series Be About?

My solo series will mostly cover places I go out to eat, where I stay, and any mini adventures I do solo. The thing that makes this series hopefully a little more special is the “deal” portion that comes with it. Any solo traveler (or solo person for that matter) knows there’s a hefty “solo tax” when it comes to things like spending on hotels, eating out, gift-giving, etc. So, hopefully through this series, not only can I inspire you to get out there and do your own solo adventure, but hopefully make it more beneficial because you ARE solo. But don’t worry if you are a couple or a group, these deals will apply to you too!

 

Why Bazaar Mar Las Vegas

First and foremost, I’ve been a long time fan of Chef Jose Andres. Not just as a chef but also as a humanitarian. I’ve been lucky enough to try a handful of his restaurants like The Bazaar, Bazaar Mar, Jaleo, é by José Andrés, and Zaytinya. So, when I heard that he was coming out with a new seafood centric restaurant in Las Vegas, I knew I had to go try it out. I love nothing more than trying out new restaurants and was even more excited to find out that Bazaar Mar is also a part of the inKind program so that means I’ll be able to save some money too.

 

The Deal: inKind

I genuinely feel like this deal is one of those rare wins, so I wanted to share it with all of you as much as possible. If you have not signed up for inKind yet, I really recommend it, especially if you are a solo foodie. It is a restaurant dining program that lets you earn cash back at restaurants you would actually choose to eat at!

If you do decide to sign up and want to support the blog, I have included my referral link here. It’s completely free to join and you will get $25 to use toward dining, and I will also receive $25. That support truly means a lot to me and helps me continue creating content like this, especially since everything I share is currently funded out of my own pocket. 

What I love about inKind is that it is nothing like sites like Restaurant.com or Groupon, where the restaurant options are pretty bad. InKind actually has well known, trendy, and even fine dining restaurants that you have probably already heard of or have on your wish list. Best of all, inKind has special perks and bonuses where you can save even more money. Okay, let me explain below!

 

Part 1: inKind cash (40% Bonus)

After you sign up, inKind runs special promotions all the time (usually around the holidays) where you can buy inKind credit and get a bonus. The bonus amount changes from time to time but on average, if you are able to get the 40% bonus, it’s a pretty good deal. Below are some screenshots that I took that shows what kind of bonus inKind offers. I purchased inKind credit months ago when there was a 40% bonus because I knew I eventually was going to use it.​ I usually get the 1st or 2nd smallest amount because I know the bonuses come up once every couple of months. 

So, essentially, if you are buying inKind cash, you are literally saving 40% every time you dine out. 40% YOU GUYS! That’s a crazy savings. Just imagine you going out and knowing that glass of champagne or that caviar is now 40% off because you bought inKind cash. Side note though, tip is not included in the inKind cash and will have to be paid separately with your credit card but you can still do it on the app. 

 

Part 2: Costco Gift Cards (25%+ off)

There’s also another way to get inKind cash if you have a Costco card. Usually, Costco sells $100 gift cards for $74.99 but once in a blue moon, it’ll go on sale for $65. I usually only see the $65 price on major holidays though. But this is a good option if you don’t want to spend the base minimum on inKind of $297. 

 

Part 3: 20% Cash Back  

If you want to go to a restaurant during a time when there’s not a bonus or don’t have a Costco card, you would be glad to know that there is always an ongoing promotion of up to 20% cash back on your restaurant bill. You also only get the cash back if you pay with your credit card through the app. InKind cash and bonus money does not count towards the 20% cash back. Either way, no matter what, you know you’ll always be getting some sort of discount when you dine out. 

 

Advice on Solo Dining

Looking back, I used to be so scared doing things by myself. I remember one time I was backpacking through Asia and I ended up staying in my room at my hostel the entire 3 weeks because I was too shy to talk to people. I told myself that if I want to have a fun trip, I needed to stop being afraid and start talking to people. It definitely wasn’t easy, but the moment I decided to take baby steps and talk to people, my whole trip changed. People weren’t mean and scary! I met so many amazing like-minded people and couldn’t believe what an amazing time I had for the rest of Asia.

Bringing this back to today, some of you might be scared to go out and eat by yourself and I’m here to tell you that it’s totally normal. The best part of this is that you don’t have to if you don’t want to. This series is geared for people that want to go out and do solo adventures but maybe just need a little push or a little inspiration. So, if you fit this category, these are some of my few tips on solo dining to help you get started. 

• Sit at the Bar
  • Now I know this depends on people’s preferences, but I love sitting at the bar. First, if I want someone neutral to talk to, the bartenders are always great people to chat it up with. They are also locals so they are a great resource for giving tips about the city you’re in. Also, maybe you’ll find another solo person at the bar that you can start talking to too. I would say 9 out of 10 times I sit at a bar, I end up talking to someone (in a platonic way) and have a great time.
  • I also like to sit at the bar because I don’t like taking up a table in the dining room especially if the restaurant is busy. I used to be a server myself so I would rather give the server the possibility of getting two people instead of just me. Now, if the restaurant is dead, you definitely do you and sit wherever you prefer. But overall, siting at a table by myself just feels lonely so I rather be at the bar. 
• Bring Something To Do
  • If you want to be left alone or maybe you feel awkward just sitting there by yourself, bring something to do. You can read a book, play a crossword puzzle, watch a show on your phone with headphones, etc. I personally have my social media stuff so I always have a camera on me. Either I’m practicing my photography or I’m filming myself for Instagram. Not going to lie, filming doesn’t really help with not drawing attention to myself. If anything, it increases my anxiety especially when I’m solo, but practice is practice and hopefully one day I’ll get comfortable enough. 
• Think of Me
  • If you’re starting to get cold feet about doing this by yourself, just think of me! I’ve already done the leg work for you and vetted out the place. Also, nothing and I mean NOTHING is going to be worst than what I have to go through. And what I mean by that is that at least all you have to do is eat and enjoy your food. I HAVE TO FILM MYSELF. Like… can you imagine how anxious I get having to film myself in front of staff and other restaurant patrons. Oh GAWD. I still get so anxious but I will say the wine does help! 😀

 

My Solo Date Night at Bazaar Mar Las Vegas

The Food

I’ve been researching the Bazaar Mar menu all week so I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to eat. I ended up going with the Bazaar Mar Summer Delight Tasting Menu for $130. There are other tasting menus but all of them look like it would be too much food and the Delight Tasting Menu was the only one that had crab, which is my favorite. I also ended up getting a glass of white wine that was fantastic. The wine was called Anna Espelt from Plà de Gates Empordà and it was a mix between grenache blanc and grenache gris for $17.

They started off the meal with a complementary glass of cava which was a nice surprise and then we were off! The “anchoas don bocarte” and the “rossejat” (crab paella) were my two favorite items. My least favorite was the “bluefin tuna and fried egg” dish. It was just too salty. I think if they had less sauce or have the sauce on the side, it would have been better. 

I do have to mention one thing that kind of bummed me out though. For any single person, you always know the “solo tax” is going to come up sooner or later. If you don’t know what the “solo tax” is, it’s just a fact that single people usually get the short end of the stick either by having to pay more or receive less. In the case of Bazaar Mar, you are supposed to get the rossejat AND skirt steak. But if you are a solo diner, you only get a choice of one. Granted, the portion was huge (obviously meant for 2+ people), but I was still sad that I didn’t experience the whole menu. 

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The Service

At first, they wanted to seat me in the dining room but I felt too self-conscious eating and filming myself with all the other tables in eyesight of me so I asked if I could sit at the bar and they were happy to reseat me. The bartender that serve me was so amazing and definitely was patient with me as I tried to select my wine. I think I might have tasted all the white wines they had, but my bartender wasn’t going to stop until I found the right one!

Later on, the female manager came by and also checked up on me and how my meal was. The staff definitely made me feel welcome and I definitely felt comfortable dining there as a solo diner. Although the restaurant was quite empty the night I went, they never made me feel like I was a burden. 

 

Conclusion

The subtotal of my check came to $159.31. So, if I were to pay with inKind, I would get 20% cash back ($31.86) to use at another inKind restaurant in the future! Just FYI, your tip will not count towards the cash back. Now, if you bought inKind cash when there was a 40% bonus like I did, the math would math out where I would only have spent $113.79 of real cash to get to $159.31 ($113.79 x 40% = $159.31). Also FYI, you do not get cash back if you are using inKind cash.

So, in the end, my meal really cost me $113.79 + $29.40 (tip) = $143.19 instead of $188.71. Woohoo! I feel like a meal is always better when you’re getting a deal. Hopefully this helps you out on your solo journey and see you on the next post.