| | How I'm getting into the hottest restaurants | | by Brian Kelly | |  | I love New York City in September, but it is busy, and getting a restaurant reservation can be challenging.
Then, I remembered I could check Chase Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables. The program launched a few months ago on the OpenTable platform and unlocks special dining access at select restaurants nationwide.
Lo and behold, one of the hottest restaurants in town — Chez Fifi — was available on a Saturday night, and it was excellent! I highly recommend the tomato salad and the filet mignon steak frites.
All you have to do is verify your eligible Chase Sapphire card on the OpenTable site or app, and then you’ll see the list of participating restaurants and the availability. And, as a Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholder, I get a $300 annual dining credit (split into two semiannual $150 credits) to use. I’ll get $150 on October 26 to use by the end of the year and then another $150 on January 1.
American Express and Capital One both offer similar dining reservation perks to their cardholders.
American Express Global Dining Access by Resy is another program that unlocks exclusive reservations for premium cardmembers at some of the country’s top restaurants. The difference here is a priority notification service that alerts you to last-minute cancellations so you can snag a great reservation before it’s available to the general public.
And, if you pay with your American Express® Gold Card, you’ll earn 4 points per dollar spent* and you can use your Resy statement credits to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants — the Amex Gold offers two up-to-$50 Resy statement credits biannually for $100 total each calendar year. (Enrollment is required.)
The Capital One Dining program is another great option for cardholders who find it difficult to get in-demand reservations. All you have to do is visit the dining page on Capital One’s site or in the mobile app and set up your profile. You’ll see options for a handful of major U.S. cities and partnerships that include Michelin-starred restaurants, José Andrés concepts and James Beard Award-winning spots.
So, if you’re like me and love trying amazing restaurants, whether at home or when you travel, be sure to check out this underrated card perk.
Have you scored a great reservation lately? Let me know!
Have a great weekend,
BK
*4 points per dollar spent on the first $50,000 in dining purchases per calendar year at restaurants worldwide, then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter.
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