How To Book a Table at Noma Tips and Tricks for Snagging Impossible Reservations

Chef René Redzepi’s Noma is one of the world’s best restaurants, and one of the most difficult reservations to book. In 2021, Noma finally received their long-overdue third Michelin star, and was once again ranked number one on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. From the groundbreaking and inventive dishes (reindeer penis, anyone?) to the spectacular dining room to the incredible team that makes every guest feel like family, Noma is a restaurant every food lover needs to experience at least once in their life. Naturally, when Noma releases tickets for online booking, they disappear within seconds. Since we live in Copenhagen, one of the questions we get asked the most is, “How do you book a table at Noma?” While it is definitely a tough table to snag, it’s not impossible. We’re here to help walk you through the reservation process, and share some tips and tricks we’ve learned over the years. This is also a more general guide, so whether you’re dying to visit Noma, Alchemist, Geranium, or any of the other of the hard-to-book restaurants in Denmark or around the world, you can apply this knowledge. Are you ready to be a reservations expert?

Wondering how you too can enter these doors? Read on to find out.
Wondering how you too can enter these doors? Read on to find out.

How To Book a Table at Noma:

1. Follow the Restaurant on Social Media

Instagram is where they will announce reservation release dates, and any last-minute cancellations, so make sure to follow all their social media channels.

2. Subscribe to the Restaurant’s Newsletter

The newsletter is another way to get info about release dates, and sometimes restaurants even give early access to newsletter subscribers.

3. Set an Alarm for the Release

Pay attention when they announce when the next release of reservations will be. Set a reminder and an alarm – you can’t be one second late!

4. Create a Booking Site Profile

Create a profile on Tock (or whatever reservation service the restaurant is using), and fill out your credit card information in advance. This will save you valuable time during the reservation frenzy.

5. Get Familiar with the Reservation Site

Get comfortable on the reservation platform! Practice by following the booking steps so you know how to navigate the page easily when the time comes.

6. Contact Your Bank

Contact your bank to lift geographic blocks for purchases and notify them of an upcoming large payment abroad. Verify your daily spending limit and have a backup credit card handy in case of transaction blockage.

7. Book Less Popular Time Slots

Plan to book on less popular days of the week, like Tuesday and Wednesday (instead of Friday and Saturday). If the restaurant serves lunch, this is also a less popular time, and therefore easier to book than dinner.

8. Use Multiple Devices

Using several devices can increase your chances of getting a reservation. Have the booking page open on your laptop and cell phone, and refresh the page constantly leading up to the release time.

9. Ask Your Friends to Help

Have friends and family also try to book a table. It’s a numbers game, so ask as many people as you can to help make a reservation for you.

10. Keep Refreshing the Booking Page

If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Reservations are typically held for 5-10 minutes while the guest completes the checkout process. If they do not finish their booking within that time frame, the reservation is released again. Keep refreshing that booking page!

11. Check for Cancellations

Check the site again after 48-72 hours. Guests are typically given two to three days to confirm and pay for their reservation. If they haven’t paid within this timeframe, their reservation is released onto the site once again.

12. Join the Waitlist

Add yourself to the waitlist for as many dates as possible. Cancellations are common, and waitlists are used frequently. Add the restaurant’s phone number to your contacts so you know if they’re trying to reach you – Noma always contacts the waitlist via phone.

13. Book the Private Dining Room

Splurge on a more luxurious evening in the private dining room. At Noma, they have a private dining room that can seat up to 24 guests, which comes at a higher price point with a minimum spend, but can be worth it if you have enough people interested in coming with you. More expensive options like this and private dining rooms are typically easier to book.

14. Let the Restaurant Know You’re Available

In town and hoping for a last-minute cancellation? Send an email to the restaurant informing them of your interest, and your ability to be at the restaurant within 20 minutes of their call. If they know you can fill that seat faster than anyone else, there’s a good chance they’ll bump you to the top of their waitlist. They want to fill these seats as much as you want to dine there!

15. Join The Hungries

Join our food club, The Hungries! We have a reservations channel on our online forum where members often share their reservations at hard-to-book restaurants. Sometimes they are looking to give away their table, and sometimes they’re looking for another solo diner to join them for a meal.

What’s the hardest reservation you’ve ever booked? Let us know in a comment below.

Kaitlin Orr

Kaitlin Orr and Anders Husa are food & travel bloggers and creative content creators. From their base in Copenhagen, they operate the largest and most influential restaurant-focused travel blog in Scandinavia.

10 comments

  • Hi. Ref. step 4. above we have made a profile on Tock, but it says that we are not able to add credit card information until you make a booking. Any tips on getting around this?

    • Good question! I don’t know, actually, since I already have an active account I can’t check. Maybe try contacting Tock?

      • Thanks, I have already sent them an email 🙂 If I learn anything I will share it here.

  • Noma was the hardest won reservation for me – and this guide was how I managed to finally suceed!!!
    Thank you Anders & Kaitlin! I am now counting down to February 2023 and using some of your other guides and articles to help me plan a wonderful weekend in Copenhagen.

    • That’s awesome to hear! Congrats. And if you wanna take things to the next level for your upcoming Copenhagen trips, you should your our food club, The Hungries. 🙂

  • I would Rather not go to such Place ever in life, no Restaurant in the world is worth this kind of energy, Time & Money spend On just Booking a reservation.

    • Fair enough, if you don’t think it’s worth it, then you simply don’t go. There are plenty of people who do find it worth the energy, time, and money, and that’s the people for whom we wrote this article.

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