The most coveted restaurant reservations in 7 popular US cities

As a result, a coveted booking can be assured displaying social capital, a way to impress friends or business partners with hard-to-reach places they can reach.

With social media, it’s easier than ever to broadcast a glimpse of your lavish life to the general public. Millennials and Gen Zers are also turning to their For You Pages, the part of TikTok and Instagram where content is recommended based on your interests and engagement, to search for the next coveted eatery to add to their lists .

Even as inflation has made restaurants feel more financially burdensome, dining out remains the biggest consumer slacker of any generation, according to a McKinsey report on consumer sentiment.

The consultancy giant’s ConsumerWise Global Sentiment Survey of 4,003 people in May 2024 found that 39% said they planned to spend at bars and restaurants – the most compared to any other type of expenditure , including big-ticket items like travel, vehicles and home electronics.

These findings are supported by the latest US Census data on consumer spending, which reports that household spending on food away from home increased by 20.1% between 2021 and 2022.

Part of the growth is a return to normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions closed many restaurants. However, a flurry of demand for hotter, more interesting restaurants has spurred new players into the field. In January, Yelp reported that more than 50,000 new food and beverage establishments opened in the US in 2023, a 10% increase from the previous year.

As our social algorithms create endless options, it’s not easy to stay informed about what’s hot and worth checking out, especially in a major city.

Here, a travel concierge for high net worth individuals and hotel concierges share their recommendations for the liveliest and best restaurants to visit for every occasion in seven of the most popular cities in the US, from the perfect restaurant for a night out romantic to the ideal. restaurant to impress customers.

Take a look, presented in alphabetical order by city.