Securing a reservation at New York’s finest dining establishments has become increasingly difficult, with the last three years marking a significant rise in challenges for diners. Getting a table at the city’s most sought-after venues has shifted from a tough task to a nearly impossible feat for many food enthusiasts.
Joel Montaniel, CEO of the reservations platform Sevenrooms, shared insights with Bloomberg, noting the struggles many face in accessing top restaurants. “There are some restaurants that people can’t get into,” he stated, adding that even restaurant owners provide little guidance on overcoming these hurdles.
The competitive landscape of dinner reservations prompted the New York state legislature to take action last month, banning third-party booking platforms such as Appointment Trader, where users were reselling reservations for prices exceeding $200, a practice more commonly associated with ticket scalping for concerts and sports events.
Melissa Fleischut, President & CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, hailed the new legislation as a “major victory for the hospitality industry.” She believes it will lessen competition for reservations and shield restaurants from costly cancellations.
Despite the new regulations, the demand for trendy, luxurious experiences remains high, often outpacing availability. Travel advisor Jaclyn Sienna India notes a notable trend—”Post-COVID, I’m sure you’ve noticed that everything is booked up, right? Every plane is full, every restaurant is full, every hotel is full.”
With 16 years of experience running Sienna Charles, a travel planning service catering to ultra-wealthy clientele, India emphasizes the importance of understanding customer preferences and nurturing relationships with restaurants to secure reservations. “People have really moved away from fine dining,” she observes. “The entire shift in the last three years has been towards trendy restaurants where the focus is not necessarily on food. It’s never about food; it’s sort of about FOMO. It’s about saying that you got in; it’s a bragging right.”
For those eager to claim their own bragging rights and willing to persist in their reservation pursuits, a guide on the hardest-to-get tables in New York, as identified by Sienna Charles, follows.