Let’s say you’re dying to eat at a restaurant that’s notoriously difficult to nab a table at, either because you couldn’t get a reservation or the restaurant only accepts walk-ins. So, you do what every other ordinary person does without the name Taylor Swift: you check in with the host, learn how long the estimated wait time is, hand over your mobile phone number, and wait.
But why simply hang at the hostess stand? Even if they would let you, there’s better things to do while you wait for a coveted table. Below are a handful of in-demand restaurants and the best nearby bars perfect for pining away while eagerly checking your phone for that golden text stating: “Your table is ready.”
Adda
Sibling restaurant to equally hot and perpetually popular Semma and Dhamaka, Adda is usually booked up every evening. The East Village restaurant does take walk-ins, if you’re willing to wait. And you should be, as the Indian fare here is top notch. Just keep in mind, the only way to get the famous Butter Chicken Experience is with a reservation. 107 First Ave., East Village, addanyc.com
Wait it out at: The Tile Bar has been anchored on the corner of First Ave. and E. 7th St., just a block up from Adda, since 1984. It’s a classic, dive-y East Village spot with friendly bartenders and a great happy hour: every night of the week until 8 p.m., you can sip $5 well drinks while you await that happy text from Adda. 115 First Ave., East Village, tilebarnyc.com
Banh Anh Em
Banh Anh Em first fired up its pho-simmering burners in April 2025 and we’re not sure there’s ever not been a line snaking down Third Ave. in the East Village since then. We get it: Banh Anh Em has really taken Vietnamese cuisine in New York City up a serious notch with its menu of northern Vietnamese dishes. The banh mi sandwiches are particularly outstanding here because, among many other reasons, they bake the bread in house and a banh mi with mediocre bread can ruin the whole thing. 99 Third Ave. East Village, banhanhem.com
Wait it out at: The Penny Farthing isn’t the best bar in the East Village. It’s fine, but it has the advantage of being right next door to Banh Anh Em, which only gives you about 5 minutes to get yourself to the restaurant after you receive that anticipated text message that also threatens to cancel your promised table if you aren’t right there. So, location is the most important thing in this case. 103 Third Ave., East Village, thepennyfarthingnyc.com
The Corner Store
More popular for its celebrity regulars than its creative comfort food menu, The Corner Store has been notoriously difficult to get a table at since it opened in September 2024. Especially if you’re a normie. But if you get on the waitlist, SoHo is home to an excellent cocktail bar. 475 W. Broadway, SoHo, thecornerstoresoho.com
Wait it out at: Milady’s has been around for years, but in Autumn 2022, superstar bartender Julie Reiner took over the corner bar and transformed it into a cathedral of quaffable cocktails. Plus, it’s just a four-minute walk from/to The Corner Store. 160 Prince St., SoHo, miladysnyc.com
I Cavallini
A spin-off of perpetually packed The Four Horsemen, I Cavallini (which means “little horses” in Italian) opened last year to great fanfare and the excitement has yet to die down. Come early to nab a bar seat so you can graze on the inventive, flavor-popping Italian fare here. Or be prepared to wait. 284 Grand St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn, icavallinibk.com
Wait it out at: The Commodore, a four-minute stroll from/to I Cavallini, is a long-standing hipster spot to sip gussied-up tropical-esque cocktails like a frozen mojito. 366 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn, thecommodorebars.com
Lucali
This popular pizzeria in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn has a “reservation” system so antiquated, you may think Ronald Reagan is still in the White House and the Billboard Top 40 is still dominated by Prince and Madonna.
Here’s how it works: The restaurants starts taking in-person wait-list names at 4 p.m., so get there at 3:30 p.m. or so (maybe even earlier on weekends and holidays), wait until you get to the front of the line, and then you’ll be given a time to return with your dining companions. If you don’t live in the neighborhood, it means you probably have a few hours to kill before you tuck into some of Brooklyn’s best pizza. 575 Henry St., Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, lucali.com
Wait it out at: Brooklyn Social, a three-block, eight-minute walk from Lucali. Did you know that other boroughs besides Manhattan had drinks named after them? At Brooklyn social you can sample a riff on the Brooklyn cocktail here, made with rye whiskey, orange brandy, and bitters. 335 Smith St., Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, brooklynsocialbar.com
Lucky Charlie
Boasting a coal oven from 1890, apparently the oldest operating such oven in the United States, Lucky Charlie opened in Bushwick in Summer 2025 with an exterior that evokes old-school, retro New York pizzerias of yesteryear. And while they do have a listing on Resy, it’s inactive. This means walk-ins only and, in some cases, it’s going to be a two-hour wait. So what’s a hungry pizza-loving diner to do? 254 Irving Ave., Bushwick, Brooklyn, luckycharliebk.com
Wait it out at: Booby Trap, an off-beat, fun bar that is right across the street from Lucky Charlie’s. Bathed in pink lights and walls crammed with whimsical art and photographs (including a wall bedecked with hundreds of fake IDs), Boobie Trap is an entertaining place to wait for a table at one of Brooklyn’s best pizzerias. 308 Bleecker St., Bushwick, Brooklyn, boobietrapbrooklyn.com
Torrisi
Torrisi is one of the greatest restaurants in SoHo. It’s also a very in-demand restaurant. The best way to get a seat at the table is to come 45 minutes or an hour before they open (11:30 a.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. for dinner), wait in line, put your name and number in and then wait it out, anticipating your future experience dining on creative Italian fare. 275 Mulberry St., SoHo, torrisinyc.com
Wait it out at: Milano’s is waiting for you. It’s been waiting since 1880. In fact, on most days of the week, it opens at 8 a.m. This uber-dive bar is narrow and dark, and even on a sunny afternoon it may be hard to decipher the time of day. But it’s a fun place to wait for a reservation since patrons and bartenders like to talk. Bonus: it’s only 140 feet from Torrisi. 51 E. Houston St., SoHo, milanosbar.com
Sailor
When Sailor opened up in Fort Greene in September 2024, most of the New York dining cognoscenti figured the buzz (and waits) would eventually simmer down. Not really. Not yet. There are, apparently, actual reservations to be had, but most of us are putting our names in at 5 p.m. and then waiting…and waiting…and waiting.
The seasonal, British-ish menu changes often, but whatever chef April Bloomfield concocts, it’s going to be very edible. Think tender roasted half chicken or harissa-laced cod in a green chickpea ragout. That’s why you should eat here, even if you have to wait. 228 DeKalb Ave., Fort Greene, Brooklyn, sailor.nyc
Wait it out at: The Great Georgiana, located just 300 feet away from Sailor, is a dimly lit, atmospheric pub with inventive cocktails like the Delete Facebook (tequila mixed with hot honey, lime and grapefruit juice) that should keep you occupied and satisfied until you get that magical text from Sailor. It may even inspire you to actually delete your social media accounts. 248 DeKalb Ave., Fort Greene, Brooklyn, thegreatgeorgiana.com
The Snail
The wait times at this Greenpoint bistro are built into the name. It’s walk-ins only at The Snail, and sometimes the waits can be slow and long. But totally worth it for dishes like lamb tartare laced with Calabrian chili and crab-stuffed cappelletti wading in an orange-saffron beurre blanc. Fortunately, there are very nice nearby bars to wait for a Snail text to arrive to say your table is ready. 544 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint, Brooklyn, thesnail.nyc
Wait it out at: Ray’s Hometown Bar is an apt moniker. It feels familiar and comfortable, like you’ve spent a lot of time here, even if you haven’t. It almost feels like you’re in a friend’s childhood rec room somewhere in the Midwest. Which is why you won’t worry at all about when your table at The Snail will be ready. You’re in your own bar-womb at Ray’s. 905 Lorimer St. Greenpoint, Brooklyn, raysbarnyc.com
Via Carota
This very popular West Village restaurant rarely, if ever, has openings on Resy. Which means if you want to eat this veg-forward Italian hotspot, you have to join the line to give the host your number and then go somewhere to study the menu online while you dream about the restaurant’s pork-sausage-stuffed green olives and seasonal market vegetable dishes. 51 Grove St. West Village, viacarota.com
Wait it out at: If you like supporting Via Carota’s co-chefs and co-owners, Rita Sodi and Jodi Williams, point yourself to nearby Bar Pisellino. It’s also owned by the dynamic duo (who also own nearby I Sodi and the Commerce Inn). Sip a Negroni or a spritz at a sidewalk table or inside the handsome interior. And don’t be surprised if you see a few Italian tourists snickering at the Bar Pisellino sign while taking a selfie in front of it. “Pisellino” means “small penis” in Italian. 52 Grove St., West Village, barpisellino.com
