Normally we just pop into recommended restaurants and if they have a seat great, if not we move on. However, there are a few restaurants on some upcoming trips we would like to make sure we eat at during our visit. How far ahead of time do you make a reservation (non-holidays)? Do you do it when you are home planning or wait until you get to the city and do a day or two ahead of time?
Thanks!
Laura,
it depends! I have made reservations the morning of the dinner, and got lucky.
My sister and I also made reservation months ahead of time for our parents' Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration, we wanted to be sure that they could accommodate our party at just the place we had in mind, and wanted the luxury of discussing the logistics without pressure.
Why don't you send up some 'test balloons', ask the owners what they would recommend! I have done that too, with wonderful results.
Since I never make reservations for a restaurant in Europe, making them in advance is a matter of your choice.
How critical is it for you to be there and not at another similar restaurant? I would wait until I get there to do it a day in advance in case there is an unexpected change in plans.
I have noticed that for restaurants at the top of a mountain in the Alps, they book up early.
Contrary to Carl's experience, reservations can be essential in restaurants (as opposed to cafes or osteria) in Paris, Florence, Rome, etc. Especially in Italy. I've done it two ways; asking my hotel to call the evening before or in the morning, or stopping by at lunch to reserve for dinner. Especially in northern Italy, reservations are a custom.
The exception to this advice is for restaurants catering mainly to tourists with waiters hawking multi-language menus on the street outside.
Our experience is similar to Doug's recommendation. I don't think you need a reservation a long time in advance but in some areas the local culture demands reservations. And this is especially true in places like Florance and other parts of Italy. We often will wander by at noon and make the reservation for that evening. That works well. We were once in a restaurant near the front where we could overhead the conversations. Everyone without reservations was made to wait 30 minutes or more even though there were plenty of tables all night.
