Would you send a restaurant a hand-written note to secure a table? You’ll need to if you want to eat at Erin French’s the Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine. No reservations by phone, email, text or WhatsApp – just requests sent by post, with lucky diners chosen at random. French had to do something to deal with the demand: her restaurant seats just 40, and there were 10,000 phone calls when reservations for 2018 opened last April.
Fortunately, few places to eat are quite as oversubscribed as the Lost Kitchen. But with long waits to get into the most popular, and the irresistible rise of no-reservation restaurants, here are a few tips for getting the table you really want.
Look at the clock
Turning up at a celebrated restaurant in the middle of a city on a Saturday night at 8pm with three friends is a recipe for a kind but firm “no”. 6pm for Bundobust in Leeds? Yes. 9pm for Rudy’s in Manchester? Probably.
Go for lunch
In a shocking twist, many wonderful restaurants are open for lunch and are comparatively quiet. Lunch menus often offer exceptional value, such as at Gary Usher’s restaurants in the north-west of England. In the case of Lyles in London, the lunch menu offers more choice than dinner.
Embrace the (virtual) queue
Even at restaurants that don’t take bookings, you may be able to leave a mobile number at the door rather than queue in the cold. This is an opportunity to check out a great bar while you wait.
Go beyond the flagship
The big names’ offshoots (Bao Fitzrovia, Barrafina Drury Lane, Morito Hackney Road etc) are often more likely to take reservations.
Early does it
Mondays and Tuesdays are always good bets for getting into busy restaurants in cities, and the experience will likely be less rushed and stressful. They are also good for more rural trips if you have the time: think the Fordwich Arms near Canterbury or the Black Swan at Oldstead.
Go big or go alone
Space for twos, threes and fours is most coveted. Dine alone (Xu’s solo table in Soho is a treat) or in a large group, and your odds can improve – even no-reservation restaurants often offer bookings for larger groups.
Sit at the bar
Good restaurants with good bars often serve good bar food without reservations. In London, the Clove Club and St John Bread and Wine are good options.
Look beyond the new
What is hot right now can be a blip rather than a constant. If somewhere is still being raved about six to 12 months down the line, it’s probably good – and the trendsetters will have moved on to the next big thing.
- This article was amended on 21 March 2018 to correct inaccurate opening and closing times at two restaurants.
