The One Who Keeps the Book New York
How to Get Intro Straker’s in New York
Published:
When chef Thomas Straker announced he’d be bringing an outpost of his London restaurant to New York, it was a foregone conclusion that it’d be packed.
So far, just a few weeks after opening, that’s been extremely true for Straker’s. The new restaurant at 59 Grand Street in SoHo marks the chef’s stateside debut and is the second location of his namesake restaurant that originally premiered in London’s Notting Hill neighborhood in 2022.
With daily lines forming hours before their doors open and table turns in short supply, getting a Resy here can be a feat of endurance. But general manager Brock Heath sat down with us to let us know all the tips and tricks on how to snag a table, along with all the details on what to order once passing through the entrance curtains.
What You Need to Know
Straker’s
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Who and What It’s For
It’s the stateside debut of chef Thomas Straker’s namesake hot spot in Nottling Hill, London, complete with his usual healthy dose of scene, an innovative menu, and plenty of butter. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that it’s housed in the former Lucky Strike space. -
Essential Dishes
Langoustines; anchovy crostini; grilled lamb skewer; grilled aubergine; strip steak; and cucumber and snap pea salad. For dessert, the chocolate tart and burnt honey ice cream. -
Must-Order Drinks
The Lucky Strike cocktail, which pays homage to Keith McNally’s former restaurant that occupied 59 Grand Street for more than three decades.
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Who and What It’s For
Anyone looking to try the cooking of a buzzy London chef and who loves being immersed in a see-and-be-seen locale. -
How to Get In
Reservations drop two weeks in advance at midnight. -
Fun Fact
Be nice to the managers and the doormen — they might just help you with a table, if they can.
Resy: When do reservations drop?
Brock Heath: Two weeks out at midnight.
How quickly are they filling up right now?
Within seconds. Absolutely immediately. Right now, we have like 30,000 to 35,000 people on the wait list.
What are the prime times right now?
Definitely the classic 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. But, for example – last night we sat the entire space at 11 p.m. again.
Are you saving any room for walk-ins?
If you get here at 5 p.m, we’ll seat you to the best of our ability. We’ll seat at the bar for about an hour straight [before reservations come in].
How many people are tending to line up?
Yesterday, there were about 20 people at the door — I could only seat 10 of them.
Are you using the Resy Notify feature?
We do have it on. There are about 5,000 people in there for each day so far, and climbing. We’re not using it to [the usual] effect though, since we have an outdated number of requests coming in through our emails and the concierge team as well.
I’m sure you’re not having a lot of cancellations, anyways.
No, we’re definitely not.
Given all of that, what do you think is the best piece of advice you could give to someone who’s hoping to get a table?
Get here at 5 p.m. I had some people that came at like 2 p.m. and were persistent to get a table. If we’re in the right mood, we’ll say yes, and just book it in. Have a keen eye, come prepared. A woman came in around 1 p.m. [the other day] and asked how she could get a table. She was really nice, so I told her to come back at 5 p.m. and I would book it in. It turned out she had a million followers and she made a really nice video. If you’re a nice person, most of the time I’ll just say yes. So … be nice to your restaurant managers.
Once you do get in, what are the must-orders?
Definitely the anchovy crostini, it’s a banger. The lamb skewer. I’m not being biased, but the lamb is from Australia, and it’s our highest selling dish at the moment. Obviously, the mussel flatbread is a must. The langoustines are absolutely sensational. Of course everything’s really great, but they’re some of my favorites.
What about drinks?
We have a lot of really cool cocktails. We’ve got one called Lucky Strike to pay homage to the former site, and we’ve got one called the Sicilian 59, which is probably my favorite. It’s a melon-based cocktail.
Do you have a personal favorite table or seat in the restaurant?
It’s the legendary table nine. It’s in the back left room of the restaurant. It’s Tom [Straker]’s favorite table. It’s everyone’s favorite table. There have already been some iconic photos there — Keith McNally and us, the list goes on. Table nine is turning into an iconic spot in the restaurant.
Set the scene for us. How is prime time in the restaurant?
The lights are low, the music is loud, the fire is burning, and the vibes are high. We have this big curtain at the front door, so when you open it up, we have a doorman who also tells you to have the best night of your life. He tells you his name only if you have a reservation. He opens the door for you. You walk in, it’s beautiful curtains. You open them up and you just see the open kitchen and all the artwork. It’s very nice and sexy.
Is there anything else that is important for people to know? Are there ways to charm you?
No, no, no. I can’t be bribed. We don’t take bribes. Just be prepared to have the best night of your life. The whole extended team has worked incredibly hard to get to this point, and it’s just about making sure everyone has a great time. Be patient, be understanding. People don’t want to leave their tables, so if you have to wait 20 minutes for yours, just be grateful that you got in the door. We’re doing our best. We don’t want to turn people away. We lead with kindness, and we want people to have the best time of their lives.
Straker’s is open Monday through Sunday from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m.
Ellie Plass is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn. Follow her on Instagram and X. Follow Resy, too.
