Resy co-founder reveals his secrets to snagging NYC’s most waitlisted tables

Getting a good reservation in NYC can feel like entering the lottery.

Ben Leventhal, the co-founder of Resy and Eater, revealed his tips for how to snag a spot at one of the hottest restaurants.

Some of the toughest tables in NYC are Torrisi, Carbone, Polo Bar and Cote, according to Leventhal, adding, “Those are the places everyone wants to go.”

And the best way to score a reservation at places like this is to know someone who works there.

Leventhal — now founder and CEO of Blackbird, a new restaurant check-in platform — spoke to the New Yorker’s Adam Iscoe who shared that his top tip is to see if you can create a relationship with the restaurant.

Try to get acquainted: Leventhal said that he will personally reach out via Instagram, e-mail, in person or through a mutual friend to get in touch with staff.

“To make a personal connection is the no. 1 most effective way to get a hard table,” he revealed.

The most effective way to make a reservation is to make one in-person, or by telephone, while the least effective is to roll the dice online.

When it comes to just showing up when you want to eat, Leventhal said that with “almost all restaurants,” your chances are much higher if you show up either early or very late.

“Show up at 5 o’clock even at a place that’s very hard to get into, add you really have a shot — especially first half of the week — of getting in,” he advised. “That is that signal to the restaurant that, ‘OK, this customer is willing to make an investment in us, so let’s make an investment in that customer.'”

Iscoe shared that he randomly walked into the restaurant 4 Charles in the West Village expecting to be turned away, and they told him to come back 30 minutes before kitchen closing so he could be seated.

“That’s exactly how you become a regular at 4 Charles,” Levethal responded, laughing that even he can’t get reservations at the popular restaurant.