The hardest reservations in New York

Opened in 1896, Rao’s is a small Italian restaurant that’s catered to New York City’s elites for over a century. The likes of John Gotti, Eli Manning, and Mariah Carey have all been regulars at the Harlem restaurant.

Thanks to the constant demand Rao’s has become one of the hardest reservations to get in New York City. The tables are so exclusive that longtime owner, Frank Pellegrino, was given a nickname – Frankie No.

In an interview before his passing, Pellegrino said every table at Rao’s has been booked for the last 38 years. So how do you get your hands on the most elusive reservation in New York City? You pray you befriend a celebrity!

The Four Horsemen would be my go-to date night restaurant if it wasn’t one of the hardest reservations to get in New York City. The Brooklyn wine bar is the full package, and even boasts a Michelin Star.

It’s one of the most affordable Michelin restaurants in NYC, with no entree clocking in north of $35 (just don’t get carried away with the wine menu). The hard part is securing a table, Resy’s go live at 7AM, 30 days in advance.

I visited Carbone the week after the Biebers were denied entrance because they didn’t have a reservation. It felt nice knowing I’m not the only one struggling with hard to get reservations in New York City.

While savoring every bite of the spicy vodka rigatoni I knew there were countless others who couldn’t get reservations to the elegant Italian restaurant. My advice: be patient, reservations are available 30 days in advance.

Another celebrity hotbed, 4 Charles Prime Rib is the steakhouse to end all steakhouses. It’s dim-lit and boasts a tantalizing, exclusive atmosphere that makes it hard for athletes, musicians and actors to resist.

The food is top-notch, which you’d expect from one of the hardest reservations to get in New York City, and has the price tag to match. If you’re one of the lucky few to make a reservation, don’t leave without trying the dessert!

I’ll let you in on a local secret: 4 Charles Prime Rib has one of the best burgers in NYC but folks are often left licking their lips since they can’t get reservations. Instead, head to Au Cheval their sister restaurant for the same burger!

While there are plenty of restaurants in New York that cater to Influencers, The Polo Bar oozes a sense of old money. It’s elegant and offers high-class drinks and dinner, which you’d expect from a bar run by Ralph Lauren.

Unlike most restaurants in New York City, The Polo Bar still offers most of their reservations old school. Your best chance at getting a table is by phone at (212) 207-8562, but don’t hold your breath. Some folks are on hold for hours only to get a reservation more than a month out. Remember, if at first you don’t succeed, try try again.

If you are one of the few lucky diners don’t forget to follow the dress code. Athletic wear, beach wear, T-shirts, hoodies, ripped jeans, and hats are not allowed, and jackets aren’t required but encouraged for men.

The only thing worse than not getting a reservation to Don Angie’s is getting one, trying it, and then chasing that high again but not being able to get a second reservation.

How can I eat anything else when I’ve seen the light?

This is one of the few times I’m glad a restaurant lost its Michelin Star (which Don Angie did in 2023). I’m hoping it makes the New York City restaurant’s reservations a little easier to get. I’m just dying to get back to that lasagna!

Another West Village hot spot, I Sodi follows the traditions of Rita Sodi’s upbringing on a farm near Florence, Italy. The food is simple but so rich in flavor, and with only eight tables it’s one of the hardest reservations to get in New York City. Resys are available two weeks out, refreshing each day at midnight.

This fine-dining Korean restaurant has only been open for five years but has been filling up its trophy case.

Atomix boasts two Michelin Stars, was voted the eighth best restaurant in the world in 2023 and head chef Junghyun Park won the James Beard award for Best Chef in New York State (2023).

With so much buzz it’s understandable why Atomix is one of the hardest reservations to get in New York City. They have a partnership with American Express Global Dining Access and also have reservations available on Tock.

South Indian fare in the coziest of settings? Where do I sign up? Semma is the only Michelin Star Indian restaurant in the U.S., and that success has led it to become one of the most impossible reservations to get in New York City.

I’ll leave you with a pro-tip: order the Gunpowder Dosa. It’s a rice and lentil crepe that will bring you to your knees and make any stress incurred during the reservation process all worth it. Reservations are available two weeks out.

Tatiana by Chef Kwame Onwuachi blends African, Caribbean, Southern and New York cuisines into a menu that’s brimming with both originality and flavor.

Take the Truffle Chopped Cheese for example. It takes one of the most beloved street foods in New York City and elevates the dish with quality ingredients and masterful cooking.

The young chef has tapped into a unique market, and folks are eager to give the restaurant a try. So if you want to get your hands on one of the hardest reservations in New York City you’ll have to set an alarm 28 days in advance.

Thai Diner reservations aren’t impossible to get, but they’re not the easiest in New York City either. The restaurant operates in a mostly walk-in basis and reservations are only available about a week in advance.

Getting a reservation is worth it, though, since sometimes you walk into the restaurant and they don’t have a table for another four hours. Regardless of how you get a table, don’t leave without drinking a Thai iced tea.

Via Carota is an Italian restaurant that opened to a lot of fanfare, being owned and operated by two of NYC’s most renowned restaurateurs. I’ve been haphazardly trying to snag a reservation for the last two years, to no avail.

The reservations won’t get any easier to get either. In 2023 Pete Wells, restaurant critic for the New York Times, ranked Via Carota the fourth best restaurant in New York City so the demand will see no end.

The hard to get reservations are available 30 days in advance, and go live on Resy at 10AM daily.

Plot twist: another Italian restaurant makes the list. I promise I’m not being biased, it’s just New Yorkers can’t get enough of the magic pastas, wines and wood-fired seafood at Lilia.

It almost doesn’t matter the restaurant is housed in a former auto body shop. The hard to get reservations go live at 10AM, 28 days in advance, so set an alarm to dine at one of the most popular restaurants in New York City.

Roscioli has long been one of the best restaurants in Rome, and when the Italian restaurant announced they were opening a location in New York City it stirred up a whirlwind of commotion.

Reservations refresh daily for the New York City outpost at 10AM, 30 days in advance for their tasting menu and 14 days out for a la carte. The restaurant also hosts a variety of wine tastings that are easier to get into, where you get three courses of wine and three paired small bites.