Every WhatsApp group chat comes with its own set of characters. There’s the “silent partner” who never responds to messages but somehow attends every meeting, the “meme slinger” who spices up the conversation with several weeks’ worth of antics, and the “absentee” who hasn’t been around for a long time. year and may or may not still be in the country.
There is also the “organizer”. This is the person who takes a survey to confirm dates, discusses budgets and locations, and most importantly calls the restaurant to the table.
These are Britain’s unsung heroes: restaurant bookers who remain organized enough to become the glue of the group. These are the people who can put together an evening with a bar or two, a happy hour, and a table to please the motley crew.
The same can be said for couples; There’s always someone who wants to go out and there’s someone who needs to make it happen. And it will always be impossible to land on the sought-after table; Maybe there was a big review in the newspaper or TikTok did its part. However, even “fully booked” places have a little space if you know how. Here’s a roundup of tips and cheat codes to help you improve your table winning game.
Fundamentals
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Generally speaking, it’s a case of using the fastest finger first to secure the hardest-to-book tables in town. These days, most restaurants can be booked online, so it’s imperative to see how many reservations the restaurant is taking (usually six weeks to three months in advance) and work backwards from there.
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If the charts for a particular hotspot are published at, say, the third Friday of each month at 11am, then make the effort: book that office meeting room and have your laptop (and phone) ready at 10.50am and keep hitting refresh. . Glastonbury rules.
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Sign up for restaurant newsletters, follow the right social media accounts, and turn on notifications for reservations. It may be added to the scope of daily incoming emails, but accept the sacrifice if you want to snag a table.
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Generally, making an effort in restaurants shows interest, and ultimately restaurants want engaged customers. Becoming a regular doesn’t happen overnight; then it takes. To help with any future restaurant reservation efforts, go out to lunch alone one day, be polite, introduce yourself, remember the names of the people serving you, be polite, and say hello to the chef. Then do it over and over again and mean it. The restaurant will soon be glad to see your repeat custom, and scoring that table will suddenly become much easier.
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Most punters book a table for two, so if you’re stuck opt for a larger booking for four or six people. There are normally fewer of these large tables in the restaurant, but the difference in demand for four tables compared to two is very noticeable. Two tops will always sell out first, so rekindle the double date.
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It’s obvious but call the restaurant. Often places have tables that don’t show up online as well as cancellations that don’t load immediately onto the website.
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Oftentimes, hot tables around town have early and late seats available, known as “shoulder times.” Embrace them; Making a reservation for 21:00 is a pleasant thing to do and the table will be yours for the rest of the night.
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Restaurants are still experiencing a lot of cancellations and you’ll be surprised what happens. Call your two or three preferred restaurants a day or two in advance (or even on the day itself) and see if they have any available tables. At the time of writing, the first class is likely to be available for next weekend (between 7pm and 8.30pm) at both Core by Clare Smyth and The Ledbury, two of London’s most sought-after, three-Michelin-starred restaurants. There are tables. to cancellations (these hot spots usually fill up at least two months in advance).
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If you want to return, re-book that restaurant as soon as possible. No, it’s early. Do this before the bill arrives. If red wine and good food don’t cloud your mind too much, sneak up to the waiter and ask when you can return. When done in person, paintings can appear seemingly from nowhere.
Devonshire
There’s no doubt that Devonshire is one of London’s most in-demand bookings, and getting a booking these days is rarer than finding Kate Middleton. Over the next three weeks, restaurant bookings for Devonshire will open every Thursday at 10.30am; set an alarm. If you want to dine here, go to the bar first, order a Guinness and eat the bar snacks, then do this a few more times. It will take a long time to become a “regular” here, but the team is nice to those they see frequently. Plus, even in Devonshire there are cancellations, so with any luck you might get in (first thing at lunchtime and after 8.30pm has worked for us in the past). It’s also worth following host Oisín Rogers on Instagram (@mcmoop), as he’s been known to announce a temporary cancellation or two on his stories.
17 Denman Street, W1D 7HW, devonshiresoho.co.uk
Mountain
Tomos Parry’s follow-up to the hard-to-book Brat is equally thin on the bookings front. The Mountain in Soho was one of the biggest openings last year, followed by Michelin accreditation, making 8pm bookings even less likely. Solution? Reservations are taken 60 days in advance, but if you need to score two before then, the very casual dining counter is reserved for walk-ins. Tables for four generally have much better availability than tables for two, but add your name to the waiting list for a few days of your choice and call the restaurant back a few days in advance.
16-18 Gaga Street, W1F 9RD, mountainbeakstreet.com
arlington
Arlington is a reborn gem of a restaurant. Tables here are very, very difficult to get, but King is a top chef, so accommodating maximum numbers and assembling the right mix of people dining at the restaurant is in his blood. To that end, stop by the restaurant, introduce yourself, and maybe grab a drink while sitting at the counter. It’s not a very big restaurant, and you’ll soon get to know general manager Anke Agtha and bar manager Vitek Melichar. Say hello to these people. It’s not about doing favors, it’s about showing you care, which is really important for restaurants. Generally speaking, booking a table for four online will also give you a much earlier prime time slot than any availability for two.
20 Arlington Street, SW1A 1RG, arlington.london
Arm
This Michelin-starred modern Mexican is still a tough place to get a seat. The secret is to sign up for the priority reservations email list. This special little newsletter gives subscribers access to new table allocations 24 hours in advance. This means you’ve secured a prime-time table for date night while Joe Bloggs is trying to get a reservation for Friday night at 10pm in eight weeks.
9 Seymour Street, W1H 7BA, kolrestaurant.com
Dover
There’s no doubt that Dover is one of London’s hardest-to-book restaurants. Even so-called shoulder tables are almost impossible to find. Way to capture a point? Books open online three weeks in advance so the fastest fingers come first, or book into the newly launched Sunday Lunch Club. These monthly events are outstanding value for money at £85 each for all you can eat. Tables are open from noon to 4pm one Sunday every month, proof that one of the sexiest spots around isn’t just for dinner. If dinner is a must, going there early in the week isn’t a bad bet. Dover has a large bar at the front of the restaurant with a large counter and convenient tables. The bar snack menu also includes the famous mini hot dogs, lobster rolls and crispy potatoes with caviar, so you’ll be well fed.
33 Dover Street, W1S 4NF, thedoverrestaurant.com
Kurisu Omakase
Brixton’s eight-seat sushi counter remains the reserve of connoisseurs in the city, and getting a seat at this popular little venue is no easy task. The “season” (bookings for the next three months) only “drops” on booking platform Resy four times a year, and it’s a feeding frenzy. While you can do your best to find a stall on sale day, a better option is to check Resy regularly for cancellations and follow the restaurant directly on Instagram. Sushi master Chris Restrepo often posts a story about last-minute dropouts. These are generally single seats and so may not work for everyone, but getting a reservation is not as impossible as it might seem at first glance.
58D Atlantic Road, SW9 8PY, @kurisuomakase
Scots
One of London’s oldest restaurants, the original Scott’s opened in Covent Garden in 1851 before moving to its Mayfair digs in 1967. It’s fair to say it’s been a bit of a hot spot ever since, but there’s been a strong lunch revival since the tabloids took notice of the restaurant. Like Kate Moss, Kate Beckinsale and Rod Stewart dining there. It’s not easy to get a reservation to rub shoulders with the great and the good, so your best bet here is to head to the bar counter. It is a magnificent and comfortable bar counter with a full à la carte menu. This can be booked and they hold a few spots for walking as well. As for standard reservations, reservations are usually required a month or so in advance, but meeting the chef will still do wonders.
20 Mount Street, W1K 2HE, scotts_mayfair.capricebookings.com