Securing a reservation at a restaurant in New York has become increasingly difficult, with recent trends making it nearly impossible for many food enthusiasts to secure a seat at the city’s most popular dining spots. Over the past three years, the challenge has intensified significantly.
Joel Montaniel, CEO of the booking platform Sevenrooms, shared insights with Bloomberg, stating, “There are some restaurants that people can’t get into.” Montaniel has spoken with several restaurant owners, but they often do not have solutions to the reservation dilemma.
In response to the rising difficulty of obtaining dinner reservations, the New York state legislature recently passed a ban on third-party booking sites like Appointment Trader, which allowed users to sell restaurant reservations for upwards of $200, similar to practices in the concert and sports industries.
Melissa Fleischut, President & CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, called the legislation a “major victory for the hospitality industry,” aimed at reducing reservation competition and protecting restaurants from costly cancellations.
Despite these legislative efforts, the demand for trendy and luxurious dining experiences continues to surpass supply. Travel advisor Jaclyn Sienna India noted, “Post-COVID, everything is booked up — every plane, every restaurant, every hotel.”
India runs Sienna Charles, a concierge and travel planning service for wealthy clients, and has extensive experience in navigating the restaurant landscape. She pointed out that securing reservations at top dining establishments relies heavily on understanding customer preferences and establishing relationships with the restaurants.
According to India, “People have really moved away from fine dining; we rarely have clients who want a tasting menu. The trend has shifted towards trendy restaurants where the experience is more about social status than the food itself.”
For those eager to secure their own reservations in New York’s competitive dining scene, India highlights several restaurants that are particularly hard to book.