Securing a table at New York’s most coveted restaurants has always been a power game — but the rules have changed
Diners now set alerts — some even deploy bots — to book 30 days out, the moment reservations go live. Even then, they’re often shut out. Most prime slots disappear within minutes. Tech promised to democratize access, but as ever, it helps to have an in.
That frustration has fueled a surge in private club memberships. The upside: Power dining no longer is confined to a handful of insular rooms. Coveted tables are scattered across the city — from the waterfront at Brooklyn’s ABC Kitchens to the coffee counter at Sant Ambroeus on Madison Avenue. These days, you’re as likely to see a deal brokered by bros in baseball caps and pricey sneakers at Dante in the West Village as by someone in an Anderson & Sheppard suit at the Polo Bar in midtown.
The food itself has diversified along with the crowd. While the appetite for $500-per-person omakase may be cooling slightly, Indian and Levantine spots are as in-demand as the city’s classic steakhouses and French and Italian standbys.
Below, the tables where you’re bound to run into someone you know — or want to.
ABC Kitchens Dumbo
A pioneer of lighter, healthier cuisine, Jean-Georges Vongerichten has been innovating for decades, replacing heavy sauces with vegetable reductions, and igniting dishes with herbs and spices. His ABC trilogy — farm-to-table ABC Kitchen, Latin ABC Cocina and vegan ABCV — was born in the Flatiron District, spread to London and Venice and opened this winter in Dumbo. Combining the best of all three menus, this restaurant offers a dazzling view of lower Manhattan. Diners, who have included Paul Rudd, Ed Sheeran, Bobby Cannavale, Chelsea Clinton, Rose McGowan, Seth Meyers, Justin Theroux and Constance Wu, cozy up in rose velvet Hollywood booths and watch the theater of chefs at work in an open kitchen. 55 Water St., Brooklyn, abckitchensdumbo.com
Jean-Georges Vonger-ichten’s preparations at ABC Kitchens Dumbo
Hallie Burton
Alice
Madonna, Laurence Fishburne, Dan Aykroyd, Jessica Chastain and Rudd have all been spotted stepping into this historic brownstone that houses a coastal Italian restaurant filled with unique items sourced in European and American antique shops. Classics like spaghetti pomodoro, whole branzino deboned tableside and roast chicken are simple, but perfectly prepared. 126 West 13th St.,alicenyc.com
Barbounia
A pioneer of the Levantine food wave, this upbeat Flatiron room has not only attracted Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, it has become popular with the Bollywood crowd, who appreciates chef Amitzur Mor’s way with turmeric, cumin and za’atar. Among his standout dishes are taboon-roasted halibut with white asparagus, short rib tagine with green chana, and duck shawarma with wild mushrooms and black rice. 250 Park Avenue South, barbounia.com
Cafe Zaffri at the Twenty Two New York
Opened by Jamie Reuben in the Twenty Two, an offshoot of his London hotel and membership club, this Mediterranean spot with Levantine influence hosted GQ’s Met Gala afterparty last year, with Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o and Hailey Bieber in attendance. Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kendall Jenner and Alexander Skarsgard have also been spotted in the dining room that serves up dumplings with yogurt and fennel pollen; tuna with black lime, zhug and pomegranate; and Lamb Wellington. 16 East 16th St., cafezaffri.com
The Corner Store
It may be painful to score a table here, but once you get inside, the staff goes out of its way to make you happy, and the classic cuisine, including steaks, chicken paillard, lobster frites and a veggie version of chicken parm, is simple but yummy. Owned by the Catch Hospitality guys (also behind red-hot steakhouse The Eighty Six and new Middle Eastern mecca Or’esh), this Soho boîte has drawn Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Sofía Vergara and Jenner. 475 West Broadway, thecornerstoresoho.com
Crane Club
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson turned up in April at this elegant Chelsea steakhouse after the NYC premiere of their A24 film The Drama, and it also was the scene of CAA’s Tony Awards party that drew Jon Hamm, Brendan Fraser, Leslie Odom Jr. and Miley Cyrus; Chris Rock’s 60th birthday celebration, attended by Madonna, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Jerry Seinfeld and Miles Teller; and the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund dinner, hosted by Anna Wintour, Zac Posen and Chloe Malle, with guests including Adrien Brody, James Corden, Vera Wang and Michael Kors. Run by the Tao Group with Melissa Rodriguez at the range, it focuses on wood-fired preparations. 85 Tenth Ave., taogroup.com
Dante
Fans of the Dante rooftop in Beverly Hills will want to check out this West Village location, inspired by Milanese cafes. Aromas from the woodfire grill and charcoal oven, along with vintage photos, green velvet banquettes and Italian glass tile make the space inviting. Patrons include Selena Gomez, Baz Luhrmann, Bruce Springsteen and Jennifer Lopez. It’s known for an extensive martini selection and dishes like crispy baked potato with crème fraîche and caviar; and branzino with fava beans, artichoke and snow pea salad. 551 Hudson St., dante-nyc.com
Fresco
The lemon garden at this longtime favorite, owned by New York TV personality Rosanna Scotto, has become a midtown gathering spot in the warm weather, and she and her family are often there to host the crowd. Sylvester Stallone, Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart are among those who have enjoyed such classic Southern Italian dishes as grilled pizza, meatballs and spaghetti Bolognese. On a recent night, when Barry Manilow showed up, “Copacabana” started playing and the crowd formed a conga line. 34 East 52nd St., frescobyscottony.com
Fresco
Scotto
La Tête D’Or
One of the world’s most prolific chefs, Daniel Boulud (see page 29) has 24 restaurants including his flagship Daniel on the Upper East Side, but his newest in New York is his first steakhouse, opened in Gramercy and designed by David Rockwell. A ribeye trolley, tableside Caesar and soft serve ice cream all make for good theater, and the chic space has already drawn John Legend, Shakira and Eva Longoria. 318 Park Avenue South, latetedorbydaniel.com
La Tête d’Or
Jason Varney for Rockwell Group
Lure Fishbar
For two decades, this has been one of the most popular gathering spots in Soho, designed to feel like a yacht. Cindy Crawford, Heidi Klum, Kyle MacLachlan, Kathy Bates, David Spade, Michael Ovitz and Ken Burns are among those who have enjoyed the sushi and seafood dishes. But lease negotiations (Prada seeks to take over the space) have jeopardized its current location, and patrons have joined owner John McDonald in a race to save the space. 142 Mercer St., lurefishbar.com
Motek
Launched in Miami, this Middle Eastern restaurant has become so popular that there was a line outside this first NYC outpost when it premiered in Flatiron in September. It has become a regular dining spot for executives at Netflix and HBO who feast on the cauliflower tabbouleh, fennel pomegranate salad, Moroccan fish and chicken schnitzel. A new location just opened in the West Village, and another is due on 57th Street in June. 928 Broadway, motek.com
The first Manhattan location of Miami’s Middle Eastern spot Motek
LemonPop
The Polo Bar
Despite being a decade old, and located in a midtown basement, Ralph Lauren’s first NYC restaurant is harder to get into than ever. The warm, clubbish room, with wood paneling, leather banquettes, brass accents and a fireplace, embodies the designer’s classic Americana aesthetic, as does the menu featuring burgers, crab cakes and a raw bar. J.Lo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bradley Cooper, Hanks, Quentin Tarantino and, of course, the designer himself, are among those who have been spotted there. 1 East 55th St., ralphlauren.com/global-polo-bar
Sant Ambroeus
The authentic Milanese restaurant that also has locations downtown and in the Hamptons, Aspen and Palm Beach, still attracts an endless array of boldfaces to this spot among the Madison Avenue galleries. Fans of the menu that features pasta, branzino, chicken paillard and jaw-dropping pastries, include Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost, Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, Adam Sandler, Harry Styles, Kristin Davis, Michael J. Fox and Bono. 1000 Madison Ave.,santambroeus.com
Semma
Part of New York’s haute-Indian culinary wave that also includes Ambassadors Clubhouse, Kidilum and Musaafer, this is the only Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in New York, but it’s still a casual spot. The colorful West Village room is adorned with bright, abstract murals that set a lively background for guests including Jennifer Lawrence, Padma Lakshmi, Mick Jagger, Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac and Regina King. Among its Southern Tamil Nodu dishes are Dungeness crab with coconut rice, and gunpowder dosa. 60 Greenwich Ave., semma.nyc
The dining room at Semma, the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in the West Village that has lured the likes of Padma Lakshmi, Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi.
Will Ellis
The Stand
You might not think a Union Square comedy club would have food worth writing home about, but the culinary cognoscenti have been skipping the laughs — provided by the likes of Rock, Seinfeld, Sandler, Pete Davidson and Dave Chappelle — and coming just to enjoy the chef’s fresh and delicious Northern Italian creations, many of which are wood-fired. Among the standouts are bone-marrow pizza, salmon steak with pistachio gremolata, and a pepper stuffed with roasted root vegetables. 116 East 16th St., thestandnyc.com
Pizzas at The Stand, a comedy club worth visiting just for the food
Patrick Dolande
This story appeared in the May 6 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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