In New York, securing a dining reservation has become increasingly challenging. Over the past three years, the process of booking a table at the city’s most sought-after restaurants has escalated from difficult to nearly impossible for many food enthusiasts.
Joel Montaniel, CEO of the booking platform Sevenrooms, commented on the situation, stating that there are restaurants where obtaining a reservation has become exceedingly difficult. He noted that even restaurateurs, when asked for advice on securing reservations, often admit they lack solutions.
The competition for dinner reservations has prompted the New York state legislature to prohibit third-party booking sites like Appointment Trader, which allowed users to sell restaurant reservations for prices exceeding $200, similar to practices seen in concert and sports ticket scalping.
Melissa Fleischut, President & CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, hailed the new legislation as a significant win for the hospitality sector, aimed at reducing reservation competition and shielding restaurants from costly cancellations.
Despite these legislative efforts, the trend of overwhelming demand for trendy and luxurious experiences continues to surpass availability. Travel advisor Jaclyn Sienna India noted that post-COVID, nearly every restaurant, hotel, and flight is fully booked.
India, who has spent 16 years managing Sienna Charles, a concierge service for wealthy clients, emphasizes that gaining access to exclusive dining spots hinges on understanding customer preferences and cultivating relationships with those restaurants. She pointed out a shift away from traditional fine dining towards trendy venues, where the experience is less about the food and more about the prestige of being able to secure a reservation.
For anyone keen on claiming their own bragging rights and determined to secure a hard-to-get reservation, Sienna Charles has insights on which New York restaurants are currently the most difficult to book.