The Hardest New Restaurant Reservations in NYC

New York's hardest reservations are not only its old guard. Some of the toughest tables in the city belong to restaurants that opened in the last few years, where a breakout review or a viral dish can outrun a small room's supply for months. This guide ranks the hardest recent openings to book, how each one takes reservations, and the realistic way into each room. For the toughest tables citywide, see our hardest reservations in NYC ranking. DinnerElite emails you the moment a table opens, so you can plan the meal instead of refreshing the app.

Which new NYC restaurants are hardest to book?

The hardest recent openings run from Bungalow and Tatiana at the top through Torrisi, Semma, and Coqodaq, with The Corner Store, Kisa, and Tolo rounding out the list. They span East Village Indian, Afro-Caribbean at Lincoln Center, and a Chinatown wine bar, and each takes reservations its own way.

1. Bungalow (Indian). Vikas Khanna's East Village room opened in 2024 and topped The Infatuation's Toughest Reservations in NYC list in June 2024. It releases tables on Resy on a rolling window about three weeks out, and prime seats clear fast once they post. Guide: what to order at Bungalow.

2. Tatiana (Afro-Caribbean). Kwame Onwuachi's restaurant at Lincoln Center opened in November 2022, and New York Times critic Pete Wells named it the best restaurant in New York that year. It books on Resy 28 days out at noon ET, per Resy's own venue guide, and primetime slots disappear within the hour. Guide: what to order at Tatiana.

3. Torrisi (Italian). Major Food Group reopened Torrisi in Nolita in December 2022, and it holds one Michelin star, per the Michelin Guide. It releases tables on Resy 30 days out for parties up to six, our longest window on this list, so the drop is the cleanest way in. Guide: what to order at Torrisi.

4. Semma (Indian). The West Village South Indian room is the elder of this group, open since October 2021, and it carries one Michelin star, per the Michelin Guide. It books on SevenRooms rather than Resy, and its small dining room keeps prime tables scarce. Guide: what to order at Semma.

5. Coqodaq (Korean). The Cote team's Flatiron fried-chicken hall opened in January 2024 and books on Resy 14 days out at 10 AM ET, per Resy's launch guide. Demand runs so high that an on-time booking can still leave you with a late-night slot, so treat the drop as competitive. Guide: what to order at Coqodaq.

6. The Corner Store (American). The SoHo room from Catch Hospitality opened in September 2024 and releases new tables weekly. Per the booking tracker Snatchd, dinner slots clear in seconds. Watch the drop-time page for live availability and cancellations. Guide: what to order at The Corner Store.

7. Kisa (Korean). The Lower East Side set-meal room opened in April 2024 and books on Resy 15 days out at midnight ET, per Snatchd. It reserves roughly two-thirds of the room for walk-ins, per Time Out, which makes it the most gettable hard table here if you go early. Guide: what to order at Kisa.

8. Tolo (Chinese). The Chinatown wine bar from chef Ron Yan opened in late 2023 and landed on Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America and The Infatuation's best new NYC list. It books on Resy, and our tracking shows it the most reachable of this group, which makes it the smart place to start. Guide: what to order at Tolo.

How do you actually get into these rooms?

Three plays cover the whole list. First, learn the drop: Tatiana opens 28 days ahead at noon, Coqodaq 14 days ahead at 10 AM, and Kisa 15 days ahead at midnight, so booking at the release beats hunting for leftovers. Second, watch for cancellations: new rooms shed tables in the day or two before service as plans change, and an alert lets you catch one before the next person. Third, aim for the softer paths: Kisa holds real walk-in space and Tolo books the easiest of the group, so an early weeknight visit to either often works without weeks of planning.

Frequently asked questions

What is the hardest new restaurant to book in NYC?

Bungalow, by one clear measure: The Infatuation named it the toughest reservation in New York in June 2024, the year it opened. Tatiana runs close behind, the Kwame Onwuachi restaurant the New York Times ranked first in the city in 2022, where primetime tables still clear within the hour of release.

When do these new restaurants release reservations?

It varies by room. Tatiana opens 28 days ahead at noon and Coqodaq 14 days ahead at 10 AM, both on Resy, while Kisa opens 15 days ahead at midnight and Torrisi 30 days ahead for parties up to six. Semma books on SevenRooms rather than Resy. You can find each room's live pattern on its DinnerElite drop-time page.

Which of these new restaurants take walk-ins?

Kisa is the most walk-in friendly, holding roughly two-thirds of its room for walk-ins, per Time Out, and Tolo takes a more casual approach than the tasting-menu rooms. Most of the others, including Bungalow, Tatiana, and Coqodaq, expect a reservation, so a cancellation alert is the surer way in.

Are new openings harder to book than established restaurants?

Often, yes, in their first year. A breakout review or a viral dish draws citywide demand before the room has settled into a rhythm, so prime tables vanish at the drop. As the initial rush eases, cancellations become the reliable door, which is where a table alert earns its keep.

Does DinnerElite book the table for me?

No. We send alerts and you book the table yourself. The one exception is our Expert plan, where a human concierge books on your behalf.

DinnerElite tracks when each of these rooms releases tables and emails you the moment a cancellation opens, starting free with one watched restaurant. For the toughest tables across the whole city, see our hardest reservations in NYC ranking.