For those seeking dining experiences in New York, securing a reservation has become increasingly challenging. Over the past three years, gaining access to the city’s most sought-after restaurants has escalated from difficult to nearly impossible for many enthusiastic diners.
Joel Montaniel, CEO of the bookings platform Sevenrooms, shared insights with Bloomberg, stating, “There are some restaurants that people can’t get into. I’ve talked to restaurateurs, we’ve hosted them on panels and asked them for tips to get in, and they say, ‘I don’t have them.’”
The competition for restaurant reservations has intensified so much that last month, the New York state legislature enacted a ban on third-party booking platforms like Appointment Trader, which had users reselling restaurant reservations for $200 or more—practices similar to those seen for concerts and sports events.
Melissa Fleischut, President and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, hailed the legislation as a “major victory for the hospitality industry,” aimed at reducing reservation competition and shielding restaurants from costly no-shows.
Despite these legislative measures, the demand for unique, trendy, and upscale experiences continues to exceed available options. Travel advisor Jaclyn Sienna India remarked, “Post-COVID, everything is booked up, right? Every plane is full, every restaurant is full, every hotel is full. So how do you navigate getting people into restaurants, hotels, and yachts that are already fully booked?”
With 16 years of experience managing Sienna Charles, a concierge service for the wealthy, India knows the intricacies of securing dining spots. Her clientele typically comprises families with incomes exceeding $100 million, including notable figures such as George W. Bush and Mariah Carey.
India stresses that gaining access to popular restaurants (as well as hotels and luxury experiences) hinges on a few key elements: understanding what diners desire and cultivating relationships with the restaurants that can meet those needs.
“People have really moved away from fine dining; we rarely have a client that wants a tasting menu,” India noted. “The shift over the last three years has leaned towards trendy restaurants where the emphasis is not always on food. It’s about FOMO—it’s about being able to say you got in. It’s a matter of bragging rights.”
For those eager to secure their own reservation and willing to persist in the pursuit, the following is a list of New York restaurants identified by Sienna Charles as being among the most challenging to book.