For those seeking dining experiences 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 evolved from a struggle to an almost unattainable feat for many diners.
Joel Montaniel, the CEO of the reservations platform Sevenrooms, recently shared insights with Bloomberg, stating, “There are some restaurants that people can’t get into.” Conversations with restaurant owners have yielded few solutions, as many admit they lack effective strategies to navigate the complex reservation landscape.
The competitiveness in securing dinner reservations reached a point where the New York state legislature intervened last month, passing a ban on third-party booking sites like Appointment Trader, which allowed users to profit from selling restaurant reservations for as high as $200—similar to practices seen in the ticketing industry for concerts and sports events.
Melissa Fleischut, the President & CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, hailed the new legislation as a “major victory for the hospitality industry,” noting it would lessen the competition for reservations while helping restaurants avoid costly cancellations.
Nevertheless, despite these legislative measures, the demand for exclusive and trendy dining experiences seems to outpace their availability. Travel advisor Jaclyn Sienna India observed, “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.” The challenge remains in how to gain access to popular restaurants, hotels, yachts, and other unique experiences that are consistently at capacity.
With 16 years of experience running Sienna Charles, a concierge and travel planning service for affluent clients, India understands the reservation game better than most. Her clientele typically includes families with fortunes exceeding $100 million, with notable past clients such as George W. Bush and Mariah Carey.
Despite her impressive background, India emphasizes that gaining access to top-tier restaurants and luxury experiences relies on a few key elements: understanding customer preferences and fostering relationships with restaurants that can meet those needs.
She notes a significant shift in dining preferences over recent years, with clients increasingly gravitating away from fine dining and multi-course tasting menus. “The entire shift in the last three years has been towards trendy restaurants where the focus is not necessarily on food. It’s about FOMO. It’s about saying that you got in; it’s a bragging right.”
For those eager to claim their own bragging rights and willing to persist in the quest for reservations, insights from Sienna Charles reveal the New York restaurants that are currently the hardest to book.