Group Dinner in New York – The No Stress Guide Bleecker January 20, 2015 Essential Guides, Featured, Restaurants When trying to plan a big group dinner in New York, there are necessary things you must consider: Which restaurants can accommodate large parties? You definitely don’t want to make your group wait, therefore making a reservation is key. How’s the atmosphere/environment? Large groups usually mean loud groups, so you want somewhere that will graciously welcome a rambunctious bunch. What’s the price range? With fun group dinners in New York, we know how easy it is to go overboard with the food and drinks… And of course, the most important aspect to consider – how is the food?? So where do you begin your search for a Group Dinner in New York? An obvious place to start is finding places, for a group dinner in New York, that take reservations is Open Table. Here you can browse by group size, neighborhood, date, and time. BONUS: When you make and honor your reservation, Open Table will award you points, which eventually will lead to “cheques” that can be redeemed with future reservations. So the next time you’re put in charge of planning a group dinner, just remember, more points for you! Keep in mind that some restaurants limit the size of the party that you can reserve with Open Table so you may have to call the restaurant directly. Okay so you’ve found plenty of restaurants that can take large reservations, but you’re still not sure about the environment? Although you can look through pictures on various review sites, I advise you not to. (Unless it’s on Eat Up New York!) It’s hard to truly tell what the restaurant looks like or feels like through just pictures. My advice is, if you have time, go check out the restaurant yourself beforehand. Even if it’s not at prime time, you’ll be able to tell if it’s large enough, if you like the neighborhood, and if it gets a decent crowd. And if you don’t have time, why not give them call? Ask them yourself about the atmosphere, and how accommodating it really is for large groups. Now that you’ve narrowed it down to a few, it’s finally time to think about the food. A Group Dinner in New York most likely means a lot of sharing. So when choosing the final destination make sure to check out the menu, which is usually on their website. Do they have plenty of shareable options? Do they have items everyone will be happy with? And for drinks, see if they have any pitcher specials, like margaritas, sangria, etc. Since you’ll be most likely splitting the bill evenly, shareable plates and drinks like pitchers make it easy and fair to all. Group dinners can be tough and stressful, but with the right preparation, they can be a lot of fun and the perfect pregame for the night out. By taking time to plan your dinner and using the advice I’ve given, I guarantee a stress-free group dinner in New York and a great time!
