I think this depends upon the circumstance. In a RL situation, such as standing in line, you very often get random strangers chatting. That is true of all the countries I have lived in and visited including the UK, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, the US and ... well no not so much in Germany, but that is a whole other conversation.Â
Bar settings are easy, people often just get chatting to each other, but the same can't really be said of tables in restaurants. In most places there is a sort of territorial 'circle of space' that people expect will usually be respected around them when sat at a table in a restaurant. Therefore, we need to employ ways to get around that if we want our  RP encounter to feel realistic.Â
There are several I can think of, such as if there are no empty tables, it would be normal to approach and ask if the seat is free and would they mind if you joined them (this can work in a cafe, bar and most eating places that are not formal restaurants), but what if there are empty tables? and what if it is a formal type restaurant setting?
Well what I might do is go sit alone at the empty table next to them and hope that something comes up in the conversation at the table beside me that gives me a reason to talk to them. I was a restaurant in Chicago once and heard a woman talking on the next table who had a Yorkshire accent, which is where I am from, I couldn't help go over and start chatting to her. She and her husband moved to our table to join us. It is a shame we can't  use accents as the excuse in game, maybe someone could think of another way along similar lines.Â
The most realistic would be if the people seated gave the new person and 'in' by saying something. I have had people in England, particularly middle aged and older ask me to join them when I was sat alone in a manner such as "Are you on your own dear? Come sit with us we have plenty of room here!" Does this happen often? No, but we have to work with what we have and I really understand both sides of this discussion. There isn't one ideal answer for all situations.
Bar settings are easy, people often just get chatting to each other, but the same can't really be said of tables in restaurants. In most places there is a sort of territorial 'circle of space' that people expect will usually be respected around them when sat at a table in a restaurant. Therefore, we need to employ ways to get around that if we want our  RP encounter to feel realistic.Â
There are several I can think of, such as if there are no empty tables, it would be normal to approach and ask if the seat is free and would they mind if you joined them (this can work in a cafe, bar and most eating places that are not formal restaurants), but what if there are empty tables? and what if it is a formal type restaurant setting?
Well what I might do is go sit alone at the empty table next to them and hope that something comes up in the conversation at the table beside me that gives me a reason to talk to them. I was a restaurant in Chicago once and heard a woman talking on the next table who had a Yorkshire accent, which is where I am from, I couldn't help go over and start chatting to her. She and her husband moved to our table to join us. It is a shame we can't  use accents as the excuse in game, maybe someone could think of another way along similar lines.Â
The most realistic would be if the people seated gave the new person and 'in' by saying something. I have had people in England, particularly middle aged and older ask me to join them when I was sat alone in a manner such as "Are you on your own dear? Come sit with us we have plenty of room here!" Does this happen often? No, but we have to work with what we have and I really understand both sides of this discussion. There isn't one ideal answer for all situations.