It all just depends on how social you are and what stops you make. If you don't ever stop in any restaurants or pubs, you'll be skipping two of the easiest places to meet and chat with people. Sometimes part of it is being the one to make the first move. A lot of people will sit down at the bar and start chatting with the person next to them. The only thing to be mindful of is reading the situation, and not being that weirdo who won't stop bugging someone. As a bartender, I've had plenty of people who won't stop trying to talk to me and let me serve other customers, I've had people who say nothing other than ordering their food/drinks, but once I have a moment and ask how their day is going, they happily chat away, and I've had people who want to just sit quietly and peacefully enjoy their meal/drink. As long as you're fairly decent at reading those sorts of situations(which Most people are), there's no harm in sitting down and chatting up the person next to you, or the bartender. Sometimes you meet a person who would love to chat with someone too, or a local who would love to tell you about the best places around town, etc.