The 21 toughest restaurant reservations in America—and the secrets to booking them

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How to book: Reservations open one month ahead of time. 

A stylish “people who know people” crowd populates American design icon Ralph Lauren’s New York City restaurant Polo Bar. Traditional means of making reservations can return disappointing results. The always-booked Resy page is like a desert mirage. Call the restaurant (212-207-8562), and you may have the same experience we had: waiting on hold for two hours before being told they’re fully committed until the end of time, in not-so-many words.

How to book: Reservations can be made through Resy up to 30 days in advance, and a $25 (lunch) or $50 (dinner) deposit per person is required.

It started life as a humble hoagie shop before Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi morphed Torrisi into one of New York City’s toughest tickets. Just how you get a reservation is unknown territory for anyone who’s not Taylor Swift. Torrisi told the Michelin Guide the secret is to “be diligent,” whatever that means. But at least there are 12 seats open every night at the bar for walk-ins.

How to book: Reservations open up 30 days in advance at midnight.

This intimate Chicago eatery inside a former barber shop is a classic no-frills pizzeria that instantly made a name for itself for its next-level tavern-style pies. The space is tiny, and it's almost impossible to get a table. Your best bet is to walk in when the restaurant opens (this works best for singles) or look out for same-day cancellations (which is how we got in).

How to book: Reservations open on the first of every month at 10am, but those on the waitlist are offered a spot first, and guests with longer histories of trying to book are prioritized.

Chef-owner Brandon Go's precision and technique are on display in this downtown Los Angeles restaurant with just seven seats and one seating per night. To combat the resale of bookings, there are a few rules: no reservation transfers, first-time guests must show photo ID, no reservations can be made by a concierge service, and guests can only make one reservation per month.  

How to book: Reservations are promised to go live a month out, but the number of tables actually available that way is as common as pots of gold at the end of a rainbow. Pro tip: sign up for the waitlist and check the day of for last-minute cancellations.

Boia De might look unassuming from the outside, sharing a strip mall with a dry cleaner and discount grocery store. But a Michelin star and landing on everyone’s favorite-places-in-Miami lists have made this one of the toughest tables to get in the city. 

How to book: You can't. The only way to get in is by being invited by one of the regulars, or by walking in and asking for a seat on the very, very, very off-chance that there was a no-show.

An East Harlem red-sauce institution, this 10-table Italian restaurant has a long history—the restaurant was established in 1896—of being next to impossible to book. Really, the only way to dine is by negotiating an invite from one of Rao’s rich-and-famous regulars. Alternatively, go for an actually accessible reservation at the Miami outpost.

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How to book: Bookings open one year in advance of the calendar date.

A longtime farm-to-table destination tucked away in charming, unassuming Kennett Square, PA, Talula’s Table remains one of the hardest restaurant reservations to score in America. A café and market by day, the shop transforms into a private dining room at night with a table that books up a year out.

How to book: Reservations become available at noon EST on the first of each month, and only four guests from the same group will be accommodated per seating.

Miss out on a culinary adventure to Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli? Try to secure one of the 12 seats at Washington, D.C.’s Minibar by chef José Andrés for a progressive meal merging art, science and unmistakable culinary flair. If sheer proximity to this hot ticket suffices, snap up a seat at the adjacent Barmini, Andrés’ culinary cocktail lab.

How to book: A limited number of reservations become available 30 days in advance at 10am.

It doesn’t matter that Via Carota has been around for more than a decade because the buzz over this place is consistently set to crazed. Supposedly, reservations are released a month out every day, but stories abound about the tables made available are at off times—3:15pm lunch, anyone?

How to book: Reservations are released four weeks in advance at 11am EST, except on Sundays and Mondays.

Michael Solomonov’s homage to Israeli cuisine offers two four-course menus at $90 that cover many of the favorites. If you can’t score a table, there’s always the world’s best hummus and pita at sister restaurant Dizengoff.

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How to book: Reservations are posted online with no real pattern, and while off-times are usually still available on the day of, eating here at reasonable times will require months of planning.

Carmelina’s is exactly the kind of restaurant you might picture existing in Boston’s North End: loud, always busy and serving simple Italian-American dishes that come out of the kitchen so quickly you’ll wonder if they knew what you were going to order. 

How to book: Reservations become available 30 days in advance at 10am PDT.

Helmed by Corey Lee, former French Laundry chef de cuisine, Benu’s take on Korean- and Chinese-influenced contemporary dining has racked up accolades with three Michelin stars and a AAA Five Diamond. Weekends book up quickly, but anyone who can be flexible with dates and times can still find a way to dine.

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How to book: Reservations will simply appear occasionally for the following month and best tracked by following the restaurant’s Instagram page like it’s an ex with a new lover.

In a city obsessed with good food, Tsuke Edomae is the finest of the omakase counters, with a 21-course meal highlighted with fish that have been delicately aged. 

How to book: Reservations go live at 10am on the first of the month for the next month.

Aged and rare fish flown in from Japan is what’s made this Michelin-starred, 16-seat omakase counter on the west side of town so popular with regular schleps and celebrities. 

How to book: Bookings are released one calendar month in advance on the first day of each month at 12pm PDT.

In a city that floods and lines up at whatever the newest hot restaurant is that week, it doesn’t matter that Kann has been serving Haitian food to Portland since 2022. Reservations here are still booked out for the next month as soon as they go live at noon on the second day of the month.

How to book: Stalk Resy: reservations drop 30 days in advance at noon EST and go fast—especially for prime-time seating.

The tough-to-book seating belies just how expansive actually is—there are indoor tables, outdoor tables, bar seating and even an outdoor lounge serving a limited menu of snacks. It's not impossible to get in but a prime weekend spot is. If you're ok with a 5pm booking then you just might make it. And trust us, the crab agnolotti alone is worth it. 

How to book: New reservations become available three months in advance. If nothing is available, join the waitlist and cross your fingers.

At this Las Vegas iteration of José Andrés’ culinary lab, the nine-seat bar is an extremely hot ticket. Lucky correspondents will snag a seat for an experimental 20-plus-course tasting in a theatrical space within the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel.

How to book: Reservations go live every Sunday at 10am PDT for the corresponding week one month ahead, and must be confirmed at least 24 hours in advance.

We (binge) watched, mesmerized as chef Niki Nakayama meticulously tended to gorgeous plates within her kaiseki-style restaurant on Netflix’s Chef’s Table. To experience that culinary magic in person, though, patience is required. 

How to book: Bookings are released on the first of each month for the following month.

Chef Thomas Keller established the legendary Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry in 1994, and the three-Michelin-starred institution remains an incredibly sought-after culinary experience. 

How to book: Reservations open on the 15th of each month for the following month.

There are just 16 seats in this intimate omakase sushi spot in Capitol Hill, meaning it’s not going to be easy to snag a spot for its parade of nigiri and uni, which is delivered via a rolling cart. 

How to book: Reservations become available on the first of each month at noon CST for the following month.

The Catbird Seat can be a tough ticket to land, especially since it relocated to a bigger space at the top of the Bill Voorhees building. The Michelin-starred restaurant is now helmed by chefs Tiffani Ortiz and Andy Doubrava, who made their Catbird Seat debut in 2024.