NYC Survey: New Yorkers Hate No Reservations Restaurants (or Do They)?

Rosemary's. No reservations, but still packed.

By James Mulcahy

One of the biggest gripes we hear in our annual survey is about standing in line at restaurants that don't take reservations. In our just-released 2013 New York City Restaurants guide, 62 percent of surveyors say that they won't wait more than 30 minutes at these restaurants, while 18 percent say they won't go at all. But when you delve deeper into the results it seems that diners are more willing to put up with these restaurants than they like to admit.

Case in point: RedFarm. This tiny Chinese eatery did really well in our survey, scoring the Best Chinese and Best Dim Sum titles, but epic waits are common (the eatery will text you once your table comes up). Though the waits aren't quite as long, no-reservations spots Talde and Parm were also listed on our Top Newcomers list. So, even though people complain in the abstract, they are more than willing to wait for a spell (and a few drinks) when it comes down to it.


In a Hangout yesterday, our editors speculated that wait times are actually much less than quoted - if you're told 45 minutes and actually only end up waiting 20 you walk away with good feelings along with time to spare. What do you think - do New Yorkers just like to complain about places that don't accept reservations? If 30 minutes stretch to 45, is it really a dealbreaker?

Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments, or via Google+ and Twitter using the hashtag #ZagatNYC2013.