For those eager to enjoy a meal in New York, securing a reservation has become increasingly challenging. Over the past three years, obtaining a seat at the city’s most sought-after restaurants has shifted from difficult to nearly impossible for many diners.
Joel Montaniel, CEO of booking platform Sevenrooms, noted in a recent interview that certain restaurants are inaccessible to numerous would-be patrons. He mentioned conversations with restaurateurs who admitted they had no strategies to offer for securing difficult reservations.
The competitive nature of dinner reservations prompted the New York state legislature to pass a law last month prohibiting third-party booking sites like Appointment Trader, where users were selling restaurant slots for $200 or more, similar to practices seen for concert and sporting event tickets.
Melissa Fleischut, President & CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, claimed the new legislation as a significant win for the hospitality sector, stating it would ease competition for reservations and shield restaurants from costly cancellations.
Despite these regulatory changes, the reality remains that the appetite for exciting and trendy dining experiences continues to outpace availability. Travel advisor Jaclyn Sienna India highlighted this trend, saying that since the pandemic, it has become increasingly difficult to secure bookings for restaurants, hotels, and other experiences.
India, who has 16 years of experience running Sienna Charles, a concierge and travel planning service for the wealthy, shared insights on how to navigate this competitive landscape. Her clientele typically consists of families with fortunes exceeding $100 million, and her past clients include prominent figures like George W. Bush and Mariah Carey.
She emphasized that access to the hottest restaurants and luxury experiences relies on a few key elements: understanding customer needs and fostering relationships with the right establishments.
According to India, there has been a noticeable shift away from traditional fine dining, with fewer clients expressing interest in lengthy tasting menus. Instead, the trend has gravitated towards trendy spots where the focus often lies on the experience rather than the food itself. Dining has become about the experience and the social bragging rights associated with it.
For those determined to secure a reservation and enjoy their own bragging rights, India suggests looking out for the most difficult restaurant tables to obtain in New York, as identified by Sienna Charles.