How to Get a Reservation at Lord's NYC (2026 Guide)

Lord's is what happens when the team behind Dame, the fish-and-chips spot on MacDougal Street, gets to cook meat. Chef Ed Szymanski and his business partner Patricia Howard opened it in October 2022 at 506 LaGuardia Place, on the edge of Greenwich Village. Eater named it one of the best new restaurants in America the next year, and it's listed in the Michelin Guide.

Lord's reservations aren't impossible, but the good tables do go quickly. The restaurant publishes its system plainly on its own website, which most hard NYC tables don't. Here's how it works, and the easiest ways to a scotch egg if you missed the drop.

Lord's Reservations: How the Booking System Works

Everything here comes from Lord's own info page, which I'd trust over any third-party listing:

• Resy only. All reservations are bookable through Resy.
• Noon, two weeks out. New reservations are released at noon, two weeks in advance. Some third-party trackers list a longer window, but the restaurant's own policy is two weeks.
• Parties of 1 to 8. The website says it has tables for up to eight. Its Resy listing has shown a smaller limit, so if you're booking for six or more, check the Resy page or email the restaurant.
• $50 per person late-cancel fee. Cancellations within 12 hours are charged $50 a head.
• Dinner Monday to Saturday, brunch Saturday and Sunday. The site lists dinner from 5 PM, until 9:30 PM early in the week and 10 PM Thursday to Saturday, with brunch from 11 AM to 2:30 PM. Some third-party listings show different hours, including Monday closures, so check before you go.

How to play the noon drop

Count back 14 days from the date you want, and be on Resy at 11:58 AM. It's a lunchtime drop, which helps, because you don't have to stay up past midnight. Have your party size set and your card saved, refresh at noon, and book the first time that works for you.

Prime Friday and Saturday times go first. Early-week dinners and anything at 5 PM or after 9 PM are easier.

How to Get a Table at Lord's, Ordered by Reliability

1. Walk in and ask for the bar (the most reliable)

Lord's says it tries to hold seats for walk-ins and tells people to "stop by for a scotch egg or a bottle of wine." The Michelin Guide notes that the bar keeps space for walk-ins even when the room is full. Patio tables have also gone to walk-ins in warmer months.

Go early, as a party of two, and on a weeknight if you can. A walk-in at the bar at 5 PM is much more reliable than hoping for an 8 PM table.

2. Book brunch instead of dinner

Weekend brunch, Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 2:30 PM, gets you the same kitchen and much less competition than a Saturday at 8 PM. If you're more interested in the food than the scene, it's the easiest booking at Lord's.

3. Catch a cancellation

The $50 fee gives people a reason to cancel more than 12 hours out, so tables tend to reappear before the day itself. Our own data on Lord's is a small sample, so take it lightly: most of the handful of dates our members have watched did see a table reappear, typically a few days out.

Lord's itself recommends a Resy Notify. Set one, and set a Quenelle watch on the same date. Resy's alert reaches everyone on the list at once, while a Quenelle watch checks constantly and texts you the moment a table opens. Neither can promise you a table, but both are free to try.

4. Be on Resy at noon, two weeks out

The drop is the most straightforward option for a date that matters, such as a birthday. It's competitive for prime weekend times, but very doable for a weeknight.

What Lord's Actually Is

Lord's is a British restaurant, and it's heavy on meat. The original idea was beef Wellington, meat pies and skewers, and pies are still at the heart of the menu, with a pie of the day alongside the regulars. The dish everyone orders is the curried lamb scotch egg: a jammy egg wrapped in spiced lamb, fried, and served on yogurt. The Infatuation joked that you may feel like a bit of a sucker paying $16 for a single egg, then said it's worth it.

Michelin's inspectors say the kitchen "could feed an army" with dishes like duck-stuffed cabbage, so order to share. The menu also leans into offal such as tripe and sweetbreads, and finishes with proper British puddings. Desserts have included a brown-bread ice cream with marmalade and a sticky toffee ice cream.

It's a $$$ restaurant. One guide puts food at around $45 a person; with wine and a pie or two to share, expect more. The room is warm, lively and a bit clubby, more neighborhood tavern than formal dining room.

Is Lord's Worth It?

Yes, especially if you like rich, meaty food and a busy room. It isn't a refined tasting menu, and a few reviewers find some dishes on the salty side. But the scotch egg, the pies and the big shared plates are a reason to go on their own, and Lord's is easier to get into than its reputation suggests.

I'd recommend it for a group of four sharing the menu, or for two at the bar with a bottle of wine. I wouldn't fight for an 8 PM Saturday table when brunch or a weeknight gets you the same food.

When to Skip Lord's and Book Somewhere Else

If you need a fixed time on a busy weekend and can't make the noon drop, book a confirmed table elsewhere and keep your watch running.

Good alternatives nearby:

• Dame, on MacDougal Street, is the same team's seafood restaurant, best known for its fish and chips. It books up fast too, so set a watch there as well.
• Crevette, the team's newest place, applies the same approach to Spanish and French seafood.
• The Commerce Inn, in the West Village, offers early-American tavern cooking in a cozy room, and its cancellations are worth watching.

Lord's: What I'd Do to Get a Table Tonight

For tonight, I'd walk into 506 LaGuardia Place right as dinner opens, with one other person, and ask for the bar. I'd order the scotch egg and whatever pie is on that night, and if the bar was full, I'd ask how long the wait was and get a drink nearby.

For a specific night, I'd set a reminder for noon two weeks before, book whatever's open at the drop, and set a Quenelle watch for a better time. If weekend dinner was full, I'd book Saturday or Sunday brunch instead, which is the easiest Lord's table to get.