Everything You Need to Know About Getting Into Zahav

How many seats are there at Zahav?

100.

When do reservations drop on Resy?

Reservations are released eight weeks to-the-day, at 11 a.m. local time, in advance of the reservation date, and open one day at a time in a rolling fashion. [For example: Reservations will be released on Saturday, September 2 at 11 a.m. ET for Saturday, October 28.] We are closed Sundays and Mondays and reservations will not be released on those days.

How quickly do seats get booked out?

Typically within the first few minutes of being released. We recommend to guests who reach out ahead of time to have their credit card info already stored in Resy for a more seamless booking process.

Are any of the seats in the restaurant held for walk-ins?

Yes! In addition to our walk-in only patio, which is open from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., our bar and six-seat chef’s counter are held for guests walking in for our first seating at 5 p.m., and we serve our five-course tasting menu. On the covered patio, guests can enjoy an à la carte menu which includes Zahav favorites like our hummus, salatim, and a selection of mezes. If guests walk in to our patio and we are fully committed upon arrival, our team will add your name to our waitlist and will notify via text message when a table becomes available.

What time would you recommend stopping by to snag one of the walk-in seats?

Around 4:45 p.m. is typically best.

During peak time, what is the typical wait time for a walk-in?

We recommend that all guests looking to walk-in arrive in time for our 5 p.m. seating as we cannot guarantee availability later in the evening. Our sister restaurants, Abe Fisher and Laser Wolf Philly, welcome walk-ins at their bars all evening.

What are your busiest nights?

We are fortunate to have a full dining room Tuesday through Saturday nights.

How many covers do you do on your busiest night?

On a super busy night, we welcome around 270 guests.

How long is your Notify list on average?

Long, and we are extremely grateful.

If someone were to set a Notify for Zahav on Resy, is there a certain day or time they’d be most likely to get a reservation?

There isn’t. It depends on our cancellations in the moment. We do typically see cancellations closer to the date, so we recommend that guests stay on the Notify List until the evening of their preferred date.

Of all the places to sit in the restaurant, what do you think is the best seat in the house?

Chef’s counter is pretty top notch — peeking into the kitchen, seeing branzino grilling over the open flames, feeling the warmth of our taboon next to you.

It’s Friday night at 7 p.m. Can you set the scene for us?

The music is cranked up and our taboon is lit. The dining room is filled with florals — floral shirts, that is, a long-standing Friday uniform tradition for our team. We are welcoming guests to celebrate all of life’s special moments.

Speaking of music, what kind is played inside the restaurant?

Since Mike was effectively a DJ in a previous life, music has always been a part of the magic at our restaurant.  If our guests are bobbing heads and shoulder shimmying while spooning hummus, our team is doing our job.

For someone going to Zahav for the first time, what should they order?

Currently Zahav is solely offering our prix-fixe menu (except on the patio), which means you get to try all of our hits and remixes. We love that, especially for our first timers.

Omar Mamoon is a San Francisco-based writer & cookie dough professional. Find him at @ommmar.