How to Get a Reservation at The Eighty Six NYC (2026 Guide)

If you know The Cornerstore, you already know the shape of this problem. The Eighty Six is from the same team, a few blocks away in the West Village, running on the same intentional difficulty. Reservations exist, but they're not really for you unless you're already in the system. Refreshing their SevenRooms page all day won't help — this is a guest list restaurant, not a slow-to-release one.

Why The Eighty Six is one of NYC's toughest reservations (and exactly how to book it)

The Eighty Six sits at 86 Bedford Street in the former Chumley's speakeasy space — a West Village address with genuine history that the room honors rather than exploits. It's from the same team as The Cornerstore, a few blocks away, running the same intentionally opaque booking system.

The practical effect: searching for The Eighty Six on Resy or OpenTable finds nothing. The restaurant uses SevenRooms, releases reservations two weeks in advance, and public availability gets absorbed by the guest list before most people can see it. DoorDash at 5 PM EST is the closest thing to a public drop that exists — check it the day you want to go.

If you want a seat, your options are, in order: check DoorDash at 5 PM, arrive by 4:30 PM for walk-in bar seats (the restaurant opens at 5), or ask your server after your first meal how to come back. The difficulty is structural and intentional. This West Village speakeasy steakhouse is, in some ways, still running like one.

How to Get a Reservation at The Eighty Six NYC

The methods below are the ones that have actually produced results, in the order I'd try them.

The Eighty Six walk-in bar seats: arrive by 4:30 PM

The restaurant says they hold two to four walk-in spots at the bar each night. In practice we've seen them seat as many as six at opening — the number is soft, but the timing isn't.

Be there by 4:30 PM. The restaurant opens at 5. Getting there at 4:30 puts you ahead of everyone who rounds up to five o'clock. The bar is small, the room holds about twelve tables, and nothing here is forgiving of bad timing.

This is a sceney West Village steakhouse — dress accordingly. The host forms an opinion quickly, and the staff, like at The Cornerstore, remember who made their night harder.

Last-minute Eighty Six reservations on DoorDash (the rumored 5 PM drop)

There's a persistent rumor of a DoorDash drop at 5 PM EST. We haven't confirmed it consistently, but the same mechanic exists at The Cornerstore via DashPass, and the same team runs both. If you have DashPass, it costs nothing to check at 5 PM on the day you want to go.

How to book The Eighty Six on SevenRooms (two weeks in advance)

The official line is that reservations release two weeks in advance on SevenRooms. We haven't seen consistent public availability — it likely gets absorbed by the guest list first. Set a reminder, check early, and move quickly if something appears. If nothing appears, fall back on the walk-in strategy.

How to get a repeat reservation at The Eighty Six after your first visit

Same move as The Cornerstore, same team, same system.

Before you leave, ask your server directly: "Is there any way you can help me make a reservation for the future?"

They take your information and add you to the guest list. The circular logic — you need to have eaten here to come back, you need to get in to eat here — only needs to be solved once.

Is The Eighty Six NYC Worth It?

It's a genuinely interesting room. The old Chumley's space has weight to it — your server will explain the history, and warmly. The Art Deco touches are right for the setting. The service is theatrical in a way that feels considered: vintage French steak knives, crystal decanters for tap water, tableside attention that doesn't tip into hovering.

The food is uneven. The Waldorf salad with endive, blue cheese, and dates is good. The Creamed Corn Pot Pie with croissant dough is genuinely good — the kind of thing that doesn't get enough credit on a menu full of steaks. The Filet au Rossini is ambitious in ways that don't always land. The pornstar martini made with carbonated Chablis is worth ordering once.

The difficulty adds a layer of meaning the food doesn't always earn on its own — honest accounting of what you're walking into.

When to Skip The Eighty Six and Book Another NYC Restaurant

If standing outside at 4:30 PM for a bar seat already sounds like a project, trust that instinct. This is worth trying if you find the whole operation interesting or want to see what the same team did with a different space and higher price point. It's not worth planning a trip around.

NYC Restaurants Worth Booking Instead of The Eighty Six (No Guest List Required)

Below are places I'd happily send a friend who's finished with reservation roulette. All of them excellent, all of them with a real path to a table.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Eighty Six NYC Reservations

How do you get a reservation at The Eighty Six in NYC?

The Eighty Six is a guest list restaurant. For first-timers, walk-in bar seats are the primary path in — arrive by 4:30 PM before the 5 PM opening. Check DoorDash at 5 PM EST for occasional last-minute availability. After your first visit, ask your server how to book for the future; that puts you in the system.

Can you only book The Eighty Six through DoorDash?

Public reservations, when they appear, surface through the DoorDash app around 5 PM EST on the day of. The restaurant officially uses SevenRooms and releases reservations two weeks in advance, but public availability is rare — the guest list absorbs it first. DoorDash is the closest thing to a public booking window that exists for first-timers.

Is The Eighty Six the hardest reservation in NYC?

It's one of them. The reservation system is deliberately opaque — no public Resy listing, guest-list-first access, and a small room of around twelve tables. Among West Village steakhouses, and in terms of intentional difficulty, it ranks near the top of the hardest reservations in NYC.

Can you walk in to The Eighty Six without a reservation?

Yes, for bar seats. The restaurant holds two to four walk-in spots at the bar each night — sometimes up to six. Arrive by 4:30 PM before the 5 PM opening. Dress appropriately. The number is soft but the timing isn't.

Where is The Eighty Six located and what is the vibe?

The Eighty Six is at 86 Bedford Street in the West Village, in the former Chumley's speakeasy space. The vibe is theatrical and considered: vintage French steak knives, crystal decanters for tap water, Art Deco details, and a service style that feels deliberate. It's a sceney West Village speakeasy steakhouse with genuine history behind it.

What is The Eighty Six NYC known for?

The Eighty Six is known for its former speakeasy location, its guest-list booking system, and its connection to The Cornerstore (same team). Food highlights include the Creamed Corn Pot Pie with croissant dough, the Waldorf salad with endive, blue cheese, and dates, and the Filet au Rossini. The pornstar martini made with carbonated Chablis is worth ordering once.

The Eighty Six NYC Reservation: What I'd Do Tonight

I'd check DoorDash at 5 PM if I have DashPass, because it takes thirty seconds and occasionally works. Then I'd plan to be outside by 4:30 PM, dressed appropriately, with a backup reservation somewhere I'd genuinely want to eat if this doesn't come together.

If I got in, the last thing I'd do before leaving is ask my server how to come back.

If I didn't get in, I'd go to the backup and eat well. The Eighty Six is doing something interesting at 86 Bedford Street. It's not the only interesting thing happening in the West Village tonight.