These Are The 16 Hardest NYC Restaurants To Get A Reservation (And How To Finally Snag Them) - Chowhound

"When you hear that a restaurant is hard to get into, it signals that there must be something worthy of drawing a crowd - and with all of the restaurants on this list, that is certainly the case. Whether it's food so creative you just can't find it anywhere else, cocktails and wine lists crafted to impress, stellar service, or celebrity sightings, these locations are hard to get a table at for a reason."

"Apps like Dorsia allow you to get a reservation a lot faster as long as you're willing to spend a certain amount of money at the restaurant. Turning on notifications for when something new opens up on Resy or OpenTable is a great way to stay informed, and in some cases, just calling or emailing the restaurant could potentially get you in."

"Chef Purdie's menu focuses on breakfast-style ramen topped with popular items like bacon, fried egg, and cheese over a lard and shoyu broth. Her current brick-and-mortar in East Village, which opened in 2025, also features a window where you can purchase cups of hot broth to go or flavorful breakfast bao buns with nod-to-NYC fillings."

Exclusivity drives desire for hard-to-access restaurants, signaling quality through creative food, curated cocktails and wine lists, stellar service, and celebrity presence. Multiple strategies help secure reservations: apps like Dorsia expedite bookings for those willing to spend more, while enabling notifications on Resy or OpenTable alerts diners to new availability. Direct calls or emails to restaurants can also prove effective. Each establishment operates differently—some accommodate walk-ins based on arrival time, while others exclude tables from reservation platforms entirely. Understanding individual restaurant policies is essential for securing coveted dining experiences.

Read at Chowhound