How to: Get a Table at an Ultra-Exclusive Restaurant

The key ingredient to securing a seat at any ultraluxe restaurant is perseverance. They each have their own strict reservations protocol, and it’s important to figure out what that is, instead of just calling blindly. For instance, The Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare—which has surpassed Manhattan staples like Per Se and La Bernadin as the toughest table in New York—takes reservations by phone every Monday for seatings available six weeks in advance of the day you make contact, which is a mission in and of itself.

At Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, it’s best to check their website to find out when the next round of tables are available and to make bookings accordingly, although there is a reservations line open weekdays from 11 AM to 2 PM. Copenhagen’s Noma, which some consider the toughest table in the world, also takes reservations online, but only on the sixth day of every month. You can also try calling, but according to managing director Peter Kreiner, you’ll be just one of 20,000 foodies eager for a table on reservations day. – DB