How to Get a Reservation at Crane Club NYC (2026 Guide)
James Williamson·· 7 min read
Key takeaways
- 1.Crane Club takes bookings on OpenTable, with dates loaded about 30 days ahead. The restaurant doesn't publish a release time.
- 2.Parties of up to 8 can book online. Changes and cancellations need 48 hours' notice.
- 3.Sold-out dates often loosen at the last minute. On the small set of dates we've tracked, tables came back on more than half, usually the day before.
- 4.Bar CC, the cocktail bar at the same address, holds most of its tables for walk-ins. The Members Lounge is separate, and a dinner booking doesn't get you into it.
Crane Club has a reputation that makes people assume it's impossible: a Tao Group steakhouse with a members-only lounge upstairs, in the old Del Posto building at 85 Tenth Avenue. In practice, the dining room is one of the more gettable serious restaurants in the Meatpacking District, if you know when to look.
Crane Club reservations go fast for prime weekend times, then loosen up close to the date. The trick is understanding the calendar, the 48-hour change rule, and which of the three venues at this address you're actually trying to get into.
Crane Club Reservations: How the Booking System Works
As of October 2026, Crane Club takes bookings on OpenTable, and our monitors track it there. It also has a DoorDash reservations page, and when it opened in November 2024 it was on Resy. Tao Group's official reservations page links to the current option, so start there if you're unsure.
The rules that matter, from the official page and the listings:
- About 30 days ahead. That's the window our monitors see on OpenTable. At launch, Resy reported releases one month out at midnight. The restaurant doesn't publish a current release time, and I haven't been able to confirm one.
- Up to 8 guests online. Parties of nine or more go through the events team.
- 48 hours' notice for changes and cancellations. Check the booking screen for any fee.
- Dinner only, closed Sundays. Tao's site lists Monday to Wednesday, 6 to 10 PM, and Thursday to Saturday, 6 to 11 PM. OpenTable shows a 5 PM start. The listings disagree, so confirm your time when you book.
- Dress up a little. OpenTable lists business casual or smart casual depending on the version of the listing you see. This is a polished room.
Three venues, one address
People get confused here. Crane Club is the restaurant. The Crane Club Members Lounge is a separate membership venue at the same address, and a dinner reservation doesn't get you in. Bar CC, which opened this September, is a public cocktail bar from the same team, with a 25-seat bar up front. Tao's own page says most of its tables are held for walk-ins.
How to Get a Table at Crane Club, Ordered by Reliability
1. Book when your date appears, about 30 days out
For a Friday or Saturday at 7:30 or 8 PM, this is your best shot. Check OpenTable about a month before your date and book if you see something you'd take. Weeknights, and early or late seatings on weekends, are usually available closer in.
2. Check again in the final 48 hours
The 48-hour change policy works in your favor. People who want to avoid trouble drop their tables just before the cutoff, and plans shift the day before.
Our data here is a small sample, so take it as a pattern, not a rule. On the 15 or so Crane Club dates our members have watched, a table came back on more than half of them, typically one day before the date. That's very different from somewhere like Graciela, where almost nothing comes back.
A Quenelle watch is useful here because those openings come at random hours the day before. Set your date and party size, and we'll text you when a real table shows up on OpenTable, with a link to book it.
3. Call the restaurant
The phone number is (212) 970-2200. A call the afternoon before, or the day of, with a party size and a range of times, often turns up something the app doesn't show yet. This is a Tao Group operation with a professional front desk, and it's used to fielding these calls.
4. Start at Bar CC
If you're in the neighborhood without a reservation, Bar CC is a good place to start. Most tables are held for walk-ins, and Tao lists hours of 6 PM to midnight on Tuesday and Wednesday and 6 PM to 1 AM Thursday to Saturday. It's a cocktail bar, not a substitute for dinner in the dining room, but it's a pleasant place to wait while you check for a same-night table.
What Crane Club Actually Is
Crane Club opened on November 20, 2024, in the space that was Del Posto and then Al Coro. Chef Melissa Rodriguez runs the kitchen with business partner Jeff Katz, backed by Tao Group Hospitality. Rodriguez ran Del Posto's kitchen and has overseen multiple Michelin-starred restaurants. Here, she's moved toward live-fire cooking with broader influences than Al Coro's Italian menu.
It's a steakhouse in format but more ambitious than most. Published prices include a Parmigiano Reggiano-aged New York strip at $115, a bone-in filet at $125, whole Dover sole at $95, spaghetti at $40 and a 36-ounce Ibérico-Duroc pork chop at $79. The Michelin Guide recommends it, praising the wine list, the cocktails and the service. The cellar runs to more than 1,000 labels.
Is Crane Club Worth It?
It depends on what you compare it to. Diners on OpenTable rate it highly, and the Michelin Guide is positive. Some critics who loved Al Coro are less impressed. One Substack reviewer said neither the food nor the service is in the same league, and another found the pasta a touch overcooked.
My take: go for the room, the steaks and the wine list, and expect a big bill. It's an excellent special-occasion steakhouse, and it's much easier to book than its members-club image suggests. If you want the best possible pasta in Chelsea, that's not quite what this is.
When to Skip Crane Club and Book Somewhere Else
If you want a top steak dinner and can't get the time you want, these are the places I'd book instead:
- COTE in Flatiron has a Michelin star, a Korean barbecue format, and a Butcher's Feast that's better value than most steakhouse dinners.
- Keens Steakhouse in Midtown is the classic, with a long booking window, the famous mutton chop and the pipe-lined ceiling.
- 4 Charles Prime Rib in the West Village is harder to get into, but it's the one to try if you want a smaller, clubbier room.
The Black Label Burger alone justifies the trip. One of the great rooms in the city.
Danny Meyer's flagship for a reason. Thirty years of consistent excellence.
Classic American food, legendary murals, old New York atmosphere.
Rustic Italian that punches as hard as anywhere in the city.
The lasagna for two is a NYC classic at this point.
Tuscan cooking that feels genuinely transportive. Expect 90-minute waits on busy nights.
Outstanding natural wine program paired with pasta that rivals the neighborhood’s best.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crane Club: What I'd Do to Get a Table This Week
If I wanted Crane Club on a Saturday this week and it was sold out, I'd set a Quenelle watch for my party size right away, and then check OpenTable myself the day before, as cancellations come in ahead of the 48-hour cutoff. I'd call (212) 970-2200 that afternoon to ask about anything not yet in the app.
If nothing came through, I'd go to Bar CC for a drink and ask the restaurant about a same-night table from there. For a date a month or more out, I'd simply book on OpenTable as soon as it appears and set a reminder for the 48-hour cancellation cutoff.
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