A new report from Resy digs into the food and dining trends of the past year — as well as which restaurants in the Big Apple take the cake as the most beloved.
The reservation platform, which analyzed booking data and diner surveys to compile the report, dished the New York City hotspots that are rebooked the most, with Balthazar, Café Chelsea, L’Artusi, Pastis and Thai Diner leading the pack.
“Between personal greetings from restaurant staff, ‘extras’ that can appear on your table and knowing your way around the menu, there’s no joy for a restaurant-lover quite like becoming a regular – and restaurants depend on regulars to help keep their business afloat,” the report reads.
While it is nearly impossible to snag a table at one of Gotham’s many trendy and tasty digs, Resy has seen a spike in interest for Sunday reservations.
The company’s data showed a high percentage of “Notifies” — alerts for available dining times — converted to real-life reservations on Sundays, with patrons 19% more likely to get a slot that day compared to Saturday.
And across the five boroughs, patrons are most likely to convert their reservation alerts to a seat at a table at the Williamsburg eatery Birds of a Feather.
When choosing which restaurant to book, those who love to “yap” — or who have a knack for talking your ear off — outlined the ideal ambiance for chitchat with their pals.
Of the 81% of respondents who self-identified as “yappers,” 66% said a “staff with good vibes” is necessary to set the mood for dinner, while 64% required “a good happy hour deal,” 61% need “an atmosphere that isn’t too loud” and 60% preferred booth seating as an option.
In general, the “overall vibes” played a key role when dining out, with 38% of patrons admitting it was one of the main reasons for deciding where to eat.
In fact, 23% of people said they would visit a wine or cocktail bar “just for the vibes” — despite not being big drinkers — and 46% of people draw interior design inspiration from restaurant decor.
Additionally, 88% of people said the chances of booking a table increase if the staff seems like they have “good vibes,” while more than half of diners said they are more likely to snag a reservation based on photos of a restaurant.
Despite the meteoric rise of solo dining over the past year — which saw a 6% surge in NYC alone, per Resy — restaurants are still considered a “prime place for connecting,” with nearly half of patrons saying they would converse with strangers at an eatery.
Not to mention, restaurants — especially ones that go viral on social media — are tourist hotspots.
According to Resy, 67% of people surveyed said they would travel domestically to another city just to try a new restaurant.
And, speaking of online sensations, the Resy editorial team weighed in on the hottest trends going into the new year, predicting that omakase and raw bars will reign supreme in 2025 alongside the return of the pub burger and cabbage usurping cauliflower as the most popular vegetable.
The Resy team also predicted that “snack-tails” — a cocktail-snack hybrid referring to alcoholic beverages with elaborate garnishes — will become the hot new to-do, and so will nostalgia dining, which comes amid a wave of restaurants reviving old menu items.