Death by Reservation: Have We Lost the Spontaneity of Last-Minute Dining?

Deciding where to eat used to be more spontaneous. It didn’t include googling the restaurant and immediately being able to form an opinion based on the photos, the reviews, the menu, and the social media posts before you’ve even been to the restaurant. A Saturday night dinner spot was chosen based on word of mouth, cuisine first and atmosphere second. There was joy in heading to a place that you haven’t been to but had been hearing friends and coworkers rave about for weeks. You didn’t necessarily know exactly what the restaurant looked like, you hadn’t already decided what you were going to order, and you didn’t already have an opinion formed about the restaurant. I think the decline of this type of spontaneous dining is the result of many things such as Covid-19, the rise in dining prices, social media, and possibly the largest factor, the loss of the walk-in.

Boston has many incredible neighborhoods that are often described as food hubs for some of the city’s best restaurants. Back Bay, Seaport, North End, Harvard Square, South End, etc. — They all have classic Boston restaurants that our city loves, and new and exciting openings happening every week. While these new openings are helping to revive spontaneous dining, the requirement to have a reservation is preventing many people from getting a table at a restaurant they’ve loved for years or trying a new place that recently opened. Many people I’ve spoken to about this have mentioned setting alarms on their phones the minute a reservation opens for a table at 7PM 4 weeks from then — and they still don’t get it. This results in booking reservations for the same neighborhood spot down the street from where you live over and over. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good neighborhood spot. The reliability, comfort, and ease of knowing you can walk into a place and receive a warm greeting, and great meal always makes for a fantastic evening. However, this consistent fight for a reservation gets exhausting and instead of hearing friends and coworkers talking about this incredible new place they tried over the weekend, you hear them saying they’ve been trying to book a table and haven’t had any luck.

There’s a thrill in spontaneity that no app can replicate. Maybe it’s time to bring back the walk-in. The last-minute dinner. The “let’s just see what we find” attitude. Choosing a neighborhood instead of a restaurant and deciding to bop into places and see what is available allows people to experience places that they may not have heard of. A key factor in this type of spontaneous dining being effective and exciting is also on the restaurant. Even if they are full of reservations and have a packed bar, a simple smile and warm greeting can create a good memory for a guest even if they are being turned away. I sometimes think a walk-in guest is more important than a reservation. The restaurant gets the opportunity to create an amazing experience for diners that had no idea what to expect. They had no predetermined ideas or expectations. Doesn’t it sound great to be able to say “we walked past this spot we’ve never heard of and just walked in! Everything about our experience was amazing, we can’t wait to go back!” This brings back a spark in dining for the restaurant team and the guest that I think has been lost.

This is the kind of mindset I think many people have when traveling. Maybe you have a place in mind if you don’t find anything else, but part of the magic is the act of going on a walk and seeing what you find. Peeking your head in a place and deciding that it’s a great spot to stop and get a drink and an appetizer before you continue on your way to do the same at the next place you find. More often than not, this plan has led me to be pleasantly surprised and excited about the food scene in Boston.

Boston has many incredible restaurants. We have very talented chefs, warm and hospitable restaurant teams, and people who are incredibly passionate about the food and beverage industry. We have a city full of restaurants that are designed, owned, and operated by people who care about our city, care about sourcing unique and local ingredients, and care about creating a great experience and meal for its guests. So have a staycation. Be curious and open about new cuisines, restaurants you haven’t tried, and neighborhoods you’re not typically exploring.