Dr Vino’s wine blog

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Luxuries such as caviar, foie gras, lobster and Kobe beef have earned Thomas Keller & Co. three Michelin stars and four stars from the New York Times for Per Se. Despite costing $250 per person (tip included), Per Se remains one of the most difficult tables to get in the New York restaurant scene. That’s probably because there are only 16 of them. Here are some tips to improve your chances of actually getting one.

Common sense:

• Reservations open 60 days in advance. Mark your calendar. Call. And call again. This is what speakerphone and redial are all about, people! 212.823.9335 or opentable.com
• Long shot: try calling within 48 hours in case of cancellations.
• The controversial service primtimetables might come through for you

Inside tips:

• Try lunch, especially a late lunch. Fri - Sun only.
• Bigger really is better: our tipster says that parties of four have double the chance of a party of two
• Get a room: specifically, the private dining room East for 8 - 10 people. It can be booked a year in advance.
• Roll the dice: show up at 9:30 especially Monday - Wednesday. Do NOT ask the hostess for a table. Go directly to the bar and order a cocktail each. After an appropriate moment, ask for the maitre d’. Say that you realize it is a long shot but you are really enjoying the atmosphere and have read so much about the restaurant and would love to try it. It may work. If not, you had a great cocktail before your falafel dinner from a street vendor.

Per Se web site

tags: food and drink | dining NYC | per se