Securing a reservation at New York’s most sought-after restaurants has become increasingly difficult. Over the past three years, what was once a challenging task has escalated to a seemingly impossible one for many diners.
Joel Montaniel, CEO of the booking platform Sevenrooms, noted in a recent interview that some restaurants are simply unavailable. Montaniel has spoken with restaurateurs about strategies for getting reservations, only to find that they too struggle to find solutions.
The competition for dinner slots has led to legislative action; last month, New York’s state legislature voted to prohibit third-party booking sites like Appointment Trader, where users have been reselling restaurant reservations for inflated prices, reminiscent of scalping concert tickets.
Melissa Fleischut, President & CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, hailed this new law as a significant win for the hospitality industry, emphasizing that it would help reduce reservation competition and safeguard restaurants from costly cancellations.
Despite these changes, the reality remains that demand for exclusive and trendy dining experiences still outpaces their availability. Travel advisor Jaclyn Sienna India commented on the post-pandemic trend, noting that “every plane is full, every restaurant is full, every hotel is full,” making it a challenge to secure spots in these popular venues.
With 16 years of experience running Sienna Charles, a concierge and travel planning service catering to affluent clients, India emphasized the importance of understanding customer desires and fostering relationships with restaurants to improve access to exclusive reservations.
The dining landscape has evolved, with clients showing less interest in traditional fine dining and more in trendy restaurants that offer an experience rather than just a meal. India remarked, “It’s about FOMO (fear of missing out). It’s about saying that you got in; it’s a bragging right.”
For those eager to earn their own bragging rights and ready to persevere in securing a table, Sienna Charles has identified which New York restaurants are the most difficult to reserve.