Do restaurants accept walk-ins on New Year’s Eve? —Tom S., St. Louis
Most restaurants will accept a walk-in party, but a better question is whether they can accommodate them, especially on one of the busiest nights of the year. I would not recommend walking into a restaurant on New Year’s Eve, unless I had called in advance and had some sort of plan in mind. Maybe there are seats available in (or at) the bar. Or maybe a deal can be struck where the party can sneak in for a quick dinner ahead of the next scheduled reservation, which represents a win for the diner and found money for the restaurant.
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I also asked several chefs and restaurant owners for their input and advice:
Kevin Nashan: Sidney Street Café, Peacemaker Lobster and Crab, Peacemaker/4 Hands Kirkwood: “We take walk-ins at all of our restaurants, and if there’s s a cancellation in the dining room, of course we would try to get them in. My rec would be to come early with the mindset that most likely you’d be dining in the bar area. It’s definitely a roll of the dice to snag a spot during prime time, but you never know unless you try. Maybe call in advance and ask some questions.”
Jim Fiala, The Crossing, Acero: “We would, but we have not had any the past couple years. We are fully booked, but we sometimes have people calling with last-minute cancellations for whatever reason.”
Melissa Downs, Cyrano’s Café: “We do not accept walk-ins on New Year’s Eve. We host two shows with Erin Bode, and tickets must be purchased in advance, so we’re are not open for any other seating that evening.”
Natasha Bahrami, The Gin Room, Salve Osteria: “As restaurants prefer set reservations on New Year’s Eve, many family-owned restaurants allow walk-ins, but it would be wise to expect that you might have to be patient and try a few places. Arriving earlier in the evening is best, avoiding main dinner hours, but many make reservations and unfortunately no show, so you may get lucky. Lastly, take care of your hospitality team—they are spending the holidays taking care of you and your [party].”
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