Tips on how to get a reservation at a fully booked restaurant by the Good Food Guide 2018

Here are a few tips from the Good Food Guide that can help you get a table without being added to a wait list as long as your arm.

Have you ever found it difficult to secure a reservation at your favourite restaurant, especially if that restaurant or chef has been featured in the press recently? Ahead of the Good Food Guide 2018 which will inevitably make booking a table more difficult at some of the new restaurants on its list take a look at the tips below.

Elizabeth Carter, consultant editor for the Good Food Guide explains how the goal of any restaurant is to turn around tables quickly which may result in you having to settle for either a really early sitting or one late in the evening.

For an article for Good Food Guide Elizabeth said: “It seems a certain level of ingenuity and persistence is necessary to secure impossible-to-get reservations at a reasonable hour.”

Here are just a few of pointers from Elizabeth on how to dine at all the new and in-demand restaurants in your area:

Call for cancellations

Find out when the restaurant you want to book a reservation for confirms their bookings and call back at that time to see if anyone has cancelled as you may be in luck.

Give dinner a miss and go for lunch

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you don’t mind eating a bit earlier, lunch times are often quieter which means you’re more likely to get a table. If the weather’s nice you can also enjoy drinks outside to really make the most of the experience.

Always be charming

Always be polite and charming on the phone when you call to make a reservation. During busy periods the front of house may have been inundated with calls from hostile customers. If you remain calm and reassuring they might be more willing to help find you a table.

Get on the wait list

Get yourself on the waiting list especially if you’re on a long weekend in a high profile area as this means you can be on numerous wait lists which will increase your chance of knabbing a table at one of your favourite hot spots.

Show up without a reservation

Try showing up on the night without a reservation and find out if there have been any cancellations. If you’re willing to wait a bit you might get lucky.

Whatever you do never lie

Never tell fibs about knowing the owner/chef if you don’t as you will always get found out which will just make it harder to secure a reservation the next time you want to go out for dinner.

What are your tips for getting a reservation at an in-demand restaurant? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below or head over to our Facebook page or follow us on twitter @canteentweets

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