Summer hours
(Karl Merton Ferron/Sun Photographer)
I was going to look into this for Darlene (and by extension everyone else), who wanted to check out Brasserie Tatin's new chef, when I got another e-mail from her. Problem solved.
It reminded me to call a restaurant before I go this time of year, even if I don't think they're going to be busy. ...
Have you experienced any difficulties using Open Table? I wanted to make a lunch date to celebrate a friend's birthday, and two weeks before the date the response came back that there were no tables available. I know that if I called the restaurant they would be able to accommodate us. Do some places limit the number of Open Table reservations, or maybe not use it for lunch seating? It's a puzzlement!
I thought maybe the dollar a reservation Open Table charges restaurants to handle it might cause them to limit the number they accept through the Web site, but here's what Darlene e-mailed me a while later:
I figured out what was going on. I wanted a lunch reservation at Brasserie Tatin and it kept redirecting me to other places, saying no tables were available. I just called and a recorded message says they are closed for lunch for the summer, so it does make sense after all.
Comments
I'm glad you mentioned (or Darlene did) OpenTable.com. I wonder if many other readers have used it (we like it a lot).
Here's my other favorite tip for restaurant lovers: restaurant.com. You can buy gift certificates there for hundreds of restaurants, and the certificates are priced below face value -- so, for instance, you can get a $25 gift certificate for $10. Often they have sales that bring the price down even further. We've purchased many dining certificates on there and used them as an incentive to try restaurants we haven't visited before, or to go more frequently to those we like. I highly recommend it.
Posted by: Ravngrl | June 29, 2007 4:24 PM
I too have had trouble with OpenTable -- the restaurant I wanted was closed that night for a private party. Seems like the site should be able to tell you when a restaurant is closed, instead of just saying no tables are available. Otherwise, it is a great site.
Posted by: MWW | June 29, 2007 4:57 PM