Prime time spots, glasto-style snap-ups, and scalpers for…restaurants. Welcome to pre-purchased tickets, the latest ‘trend’ working its way through the set-menu scene. And thanks to a crop of trailblazing tastemakers, good or bad, it’s here to stay.
In LA, Trois Mec has been doing it for a couple of years. The hottest ‘ticket’ in town (figuratively and literally), reservations are sold weekly for the restaurant’s 26 seats and five-course tasting menu. Wine not included. We thought disaster; we were wrong. Great food with a buzzing atmosphere for under $100. Simple and democratic.
However, over in Chicago’s Next Bistro, the process gets more complicated (and costly). The compulsory six-course set menu is covered by the ticket price, but the chalkboard of a la carte items is not. From carrots ($9) to a seafood platter ($130 for two), the rules are strict; chalkboard items can only be added or substituted at an additional cost.
Here in London, The Clove Club is set to follow suit later this year, starting with dinner, with dynamic pricing system, Tock. Meaning the price of tickets will depend on the desirability of the reservation time. The later the reservation, the more expensive the meal (£65 or £95 for the same set menu). No refunds.
No bookings vs. tickets – it begins.
