You might think that getting a reservation at some of the world’s best restaurants would involve knowing the right people and a lot of patience, but not so, according to a new survey that analysed the waiting times for two and three Michelin star restaurants in the UK and Europe.
A survey has found that a reservation at restaurants across Europe with either two or three Michelin stars, revealed that at 175, from a total of 349, required a phone call less than two days in advance.
The European restaurant with the longest waiting list was three-Michelin-starred De Librije, located in the library of a Dominican Abbey in the Netherlands led by chef Jonnie Boer and his wife Thérèse Boer-Tausch with diners having to book ahead six months in advance.
Unsurprisingly, El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, Spain has the second longest wait time and makes guests wait for five months to get a table while the third-longest wait time, three to four months, was for chef Esben Holmboe Bang’s Maaemo in Oslo.
The study found that only 27 European two or three-star restaurants required more than a month for a reservation with 249 available in less than a week.
France has the most two and three Michelin starred restaurants in Europe, 113 in total, which explains why most were available to diners within a week, although a few, such as the three-star René et Maxime Meilleur required three months’ notice.
Spain, Portugal and Italy’s most prestigious restaurants only required less than a week’s notice, however, Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana in Modena requires four months for a reservation.
Interestingly according to the survey, a diner could get a table in Rene Redzepi’s Noma in Copenhagen in just five to six days. A reservation at Magnus Nilsson's Fäviken is impossible to get before the restaurant closes its doors on December 14th.
Restaurants with the longest waiting times in Europe
De Librije - Zwolle, Netherlands - three stars - over six months
El Celler de Can Roca - Girona, Spain - three stars - four to five months
Maaemo - Oslo, Norway - two stars - three to four months
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal - London - two stars - three to four months
Osteria Francescana - Modena, Italy - three stars - three to four months
Core by Clare Smyth - London - two stars - two to three months
Gordon Ramsay - London - three stars - two to three months
Aimsir - Celbridge, Ireland - two stars - two to three months
Le Clos des Sens - Annecy-le-Vieux, France - three stars - two to three months
René et Maxime Meilleur - Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, France - three stars - two to three months
La Chèvre d'Or - Èze, France - two stars - two to three months
Hostellerie Jérôme - La Turbie, France - two stars - two to three
Michel Sarran - Toulouse, France - two stars - two to three months
Schwarzwaldstube Baiersbronn - Tonbach, Germany - three stars - two to three months
Faviken Magasinet - Jarpen, Sweden - two stars - Reservations not possible.
