Securing a dining reservation in New York has become increasingly difficult, with many finding it nearly impossible to get a seat at the city’s most popular restaurants. Over the past three years, the challenge has surged to unprecedented levels, turning the dream of dining at trendy spots into a distant reality for many food enthusiasts.
“There are some restaurants that people can’t get into,” said Joel Montaniel, CEO of the bookings platform Sevenrooms, in an interview with Bloomberg. “I’ve even talked to restaurateurs, hosted them on panels, and asked for tips to get in, and they say, ‘I don’t have them.’”
The competition for dinner reservations has grown so intense that the New York state legislature recently voted to ban third-party booking sites like Appointment Trader. These platforms had users reselling their reservation slots for $200 or more, similar to the scalping seen with concert and sporting event tickets.
Melissa Fleischut, President and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, hailed the legislation as a “major victory for the hospitality industry.” She noted it would reduce competition for reservations and protect restaurants from costly cancellations.
Nevertheless, the demand for exciting and trendy dining experiences continues to exceed availability. According to travel advisor Jaclyn Sienna India, the post-COVID-19 era has only heightened this 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,” India remarked. “So how do you navigate getting people into restaurants, hotels, and yachts that are already booked up?”
India, who has operated Sienna Charles, a concierge and travel planning service for the ultra-wealthy for 16 years, has an extensive understanding of securing exclusive reservations. Her clientele includes high-profile names like George W. Bush and Mariah Carey.
Despite her elite connections, India highlights that access to sought-after restaurants and luxury experiences boils down to understanding customer desires and fostering relationships with the establishments that can meet those needs.
“People have really moved away from fine dining; we very rarely have a client that wants to sit through a tasting menu,” she explained. “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 aiming to secure their own bragging rights and willing to persist in the reservation battle, here are some of the hardest-to-get tables in New York, according to Sienna Charles.