Securing a reservation at New York’s most sought-after restaurants has become increasingly challenging, with many food enthusiasts struggling to snag a seat at the trendiest venues. Over the past three years, the reservation process has evolved from difficult to nearly impossible for many.
Joel Montaniel, CEO of the booking platform Sevenrooms, shared insights with Bloomberg, stating, “There are some restaurants that people can’t get into.” He noted conversations with restaurateurs who, when asked for tips on securing reservations, admitted they had none to offer.
The competition for dinner reservations escalated to such an extent that the New York state legislature voted to prohibit third-party booking platforms like Appointment Trader, where users were reselling their restaurant slots for exorbitant prices, mirroring practices typically seen in concert and sporting event ticket scalping.
Melissa Fleischut, President and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, hailed the legislation as a significant win for the hospitality sector, which aims to lessen competition for reservations and shield restaurants from costly cancellations.
However, despite these legislative efforts, the reality remains that the demand for trendy, luxurious experiences continues to surpass their availability. Travel advisor Jaclyn Sienna India pointed out, “Post-COVID, everything is booked up, right? Every plane is full, every restaurant is full, every hotel is full.” She highlighted the challenge of navigating access to fully booked restaurants, hotels, and other experiences.
India, who has spent 16 years running Sienna Charles—a concierge and travel planning service catering to the ultra-wealthy—pointed to key factors for accessing exclusive restaurants: understanding client desires and forging relationships with restaurateurs. “People have really moved away from fine dining; we rarely have a client that wants to sit through a tasting menu,” she noted. “The entire shift in the last three years has been towards trendy restaurants where the focus is not necessarily on food. It’s about the fear of missing out; it’s about saying that you got in, it’s a bragging right.”
For those looking to earn their own bragging rights and willing to persist in their quest for reservations, India’s expertise could provide valuable insights into which New York restaurants are the hardest to access.