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The toughest restaurant reservations in America—and how to get them

Sometimes, you’ll just need to plan way in advance, and sometimes, you’ll just need to be Taylor Swift to get a table

Eric Barton
Written by
Eric Barton
Contributor
Kristina Jenkins
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There’s a restaurant not far from me, just one neighborhood away in a strip mall so low rent you’ll double check that the car is locked. Pass through the parking spots that seem entirely too tight to be real and you’ll find one of Miami’s best restaurants, Boia De, where the theme is quite simple: put out things that are delicious. Like other Time Out contributors and editors, I make a pilgrimage there yearly on my birthday. To do this, I check the reservations incessantly. I put my name on a waitlist. And I text the chef as if I’m hoping he’ll take me to the spring formal. Eventually, usually, I get that coveted reservation, albeit at a time that most people would say it’s too early to begin happy hour.

The crazy thing, as we found in trying to book these restaurants below, is that Boia De isn’t even the toughest reservation to be had in this fair land. Some of the toughest reservations in America are just simply impossible to get—unless you’ve been headlining at Madison Square Garden. For others, getting a reservation will require a combination of computer skills and patience, and some planning well in advance. So, break out your laptops, set your calendar with reminders, and prepare to call in favors because we’re about to take a trip to the restaurants in America that are just near impossible to book.

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Toughest reservations in America

1. The Polo Bar | New York, NY

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Wait time: Good luck

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.

Torrisi | New York, NY
Photograph: Alexandria Guerra for Time Out

2. Torrisi | New York, NY

Wait time: Unknown

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.

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Kasama | Chicago, IL
Photograph: Kristen Mendiola

3. Kasama | Chicago, IL

Wait time: 45 days

By day, husband-and-wife team Tim Flores and Genie Kwon use Kasama to put out pastries and simple Filipino-American dishes like chicken adobo and breakfast sandwiches, with lines that can span down the block. But at night it converts to a 13-course tasting menu concept that’s forever booked. Reservations come available at noon central 45 days out.

Hayato | Los Angeles, CA
Photograph: Time Out/Stephanie Breijo

4. Hayato | Los Angeles, CA

Wait time: One month or more

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. Reservations come available only occasionally—last we checked, the next batch would open up several weeks out—and book many months in advance.

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Boia De | Miami, FL
Photograph: Andrea Lorena

5. Boia De | Miami, FL

Wait time: One month or more

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. Reservations are promised to go live at noon for 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.

Rao’s | New York, NY
Photograph: Tova Carlin

6. Rao’s | New York, NY

Wait time: Members only

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 Hollywood and Miami outposts.

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7. Talula’s Table | Kennett Square, PA

Wait time: One year or more

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. Interested in reserving the Farm Table for 10 to 12? Call Talula’s at precisely 7am. 365 days in advance.

Minibar by José Andrés | Washington, D.C.
Photograph: Rey Lopez

8. Minibar by José Andrés | Washington, D.C.

Wait time: Three months

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. Seasonal reservations are acquired via email and roll out every three months. If sheer proximity to this hot ticket suffices, snap up a seat at the adjacent Barmini, Andrés’ culinary cocktail lab.

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Via Carota | New York, NY
Photograph: Time Out/Ali Garber

9. Via Carota | New York, NY

Wait time: One month or more

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 at 10am, but stories abound about the tables made available are at off times—3:15pm lunch, anyone?

Zahav | Philadelphia, PA
Photograph: Daniel Knoll

10. Zahav | Philadelphia, PA

Wait time: Two months

Michael Solomonov’s homage to Israeli cuisine offers two four-course menus at $85 that cover many of the favorites. Reservations drop eight weeks out from the date and often book up that day, so you’ll need some planning before a pilgrimage here. The good news is that 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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11. Carmelina’s | Boston, MA

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Wait time: Two months or more

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

Dirt Candy | New York City, NY
Photograph: Evan Sung

12. Dirt Candy | New York City, NY

Wait time: Two months

Haute veggie cuisine queen Amanda Cohen consistently packs in diners at her cheery 60-seat Lower East Side vegetarian dining mecca. The books open up 60 days out, and prime reservations fill up quickly, but thanks to last-minute cancellations and bar seating, walk-ins are accepted and Korean-fried broccoli can be for dinner.

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Benu | San Francisco, CA
Photograph: Eric Wolfinger

13. Benu | San Francisco, CA

Wait time: Up to 2 months

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. Reservations are released at 10 each morning, a month out. Weekends book up speedily, but anyone who can be flexible on dates and times can find a way to dine.

14. Tsuke Edomae | Austin, TX

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Wait time: One month or more

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

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Mujō | Atlanta, GA
Photograph: Andrew Thomas Lee

15. Mujō | Atlanta, GA

Wait time: One month or more

Aged and rare fish flown in from Japan is what’s made this 16-seat omakase counter on the west side of town so popular with regular schleps and celebrities. Reservations go live at 10am on the first of the month for the next month.

Kann | Portland, OR
Photograph: Steve Freihon

16. Kann | Portland, OR

Wait time: One month or more

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.

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é by José Andrés | Las Vegas, NV
Photograph: Louiie Victa

17. é by José Andrés | Las Vegas, NV

Wait time: One month or more

At the Las Vegas iteration of José Andrés’s culinary lab, the eight-seat bar books one month out by first-come, first-served email reservation only. Lucky correspondents will snag a seat for an experimental 15-course tasting in a space within the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel.

N/Naka | Los Angeles, CA
Photograph: Courtesy Jesse Hsu

18. N/Naka | Los Angeles, CA

Wait time: Three months or more

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. With a maximum capacity of 26, reservations for dates three months out are typically snapped up within the hour of their release online every Sunday at 10am. Waitlists are available, though, so patience is rewarded.

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The French Laundry | Yountville, CA
Photograph: Shutterstock/Leonard Zhukovsky

19. The French Laundry | Yountville, CA

Wait time: One month or more

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. Want a reservation? Try your luck on Tock or dial the restaurant daily to book a table one month out from the calendar date.

Wait time: One month or more

There are just 16 seats in this 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. But the good news is that reservations are available at 11am on the 15th of each month for the following month, so set up a handy calendar item a few minutes out to begin hovering over the “refresh” button.

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The Catbird Seat | Nashville, TN
Photograph: Andrew Thomas Lee

21. The Catbird Seat | Nashville, TN

Wait time: Up to one month

It’s not as hard to book The Catbird Seat as it used to be—we found a smattering of seats available for weekdays mostly over the next month when we searched—but it still can be a tough ticket to land for that one night when you need to be there. This is often the case since the restaurant has a rotating roster of chefs who come here for stints, never to be seen again, in these parts at least.

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