It will take you 4 years to get the world’s toughest table

Your server will be right with you — in four years.

An unassuming pub in England has been named the toughest restaurant in the world to get a table — even beating the highly influential New York scene.

Located in Bristol, in the hills two and a half hours from London, The Bank Tavern currently holds a jaw-dropping waiting list of four years, according to research compiled by business payment provider Dojo.

Famous for its Sunday Roasts, the small local eatery’s waitlist is specific to its Sunday Lunch.

The hugely popular menu usually consists of a 30-day aged rare topside of beef, a slow-cooked pork belly, a honey and rosemary roasted leg of lamb, and a vegetable lentil loaf.

Patrons can also choose between maple Sriracha glazed pork belly with apple coleslaw, Greek squid balls, and masoor dahl pakoras for starters.

The Top 9 Hardest Reservations In The World

Restaurant Location Waiting Time
1. The Bank Tavern Bristol, UK 4 years
2. Damon Baehrel Earlton, NY 1 year
3. La Mesita de Almanza Tierra del Fuego, Argentina 6 months
4. Mesa 1 Punta de Mita, Mexico 6 months
5. Disfrutar Barcelona, Spain 5 months
6. The Fat Duck Bray, UK 4 months
7. Noma Copenhagen, Denmark 3 months
8. The Cove Club London, UK 3 months
9. Brae Birregurra, Australia 2 months
Dojo research analytics shows the top 9 hardest restaurant reservations in the world.

The Bank Tavern (seen above) takes the number one spot with a reservation waiting period of 4 years.
The Bank Tavern (seen above) takes the number one spot with a reservation waiting period of 4 years.
The Bank Tavern

the Tavern's legendary Sunday dinners that has won awards thanks to its gravy and Yorkshire pudding
The Tavern’s iconic Sunday spread has won awards thanks to its gravy and Yorkshire pudding.

The dessert options consist of a strawberry and white chocolate pavlova, a limoncello tart, and a raspberry yogurt panna cotta.

For a three-course meal, it will cost a reasonable $35 or $56 for two.

On their website, customers are warned that reservations for Sunday dinners have been closed “for the foreseeable future.”


The wait time for New York restaurant Damon Baehrel (above) is one year.
The wait time for New York restaurant Damon Baehrel (above) is one year.
Twitter / @t.alfeld

Chef Damon Baehrel in his kitchen.
Chef Damon Baehrel the owner of Damon Baehrel.
Courtesy of Damon Baehre

In 2019, the pub’s homemade gravy and mammoth Yorkshire puddings put their Sunday meal on top, naming it the best in Britain by the Observer Food Monthly Awards.

Meanwhile, the second for hardest reservation to get into was located in New York.

Damon Baehrel is located in Earlton, New York, in the Hudson Valley.


Pictured: Mesa 1, Punta de Mita, Mexico
Reservations for Mesa 1 in Punta de Mita, Mexico will take 6 months.
OpenTable

La Mesita de Almanza Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
It will take 6 months for a reservation for La Mesita de Almanza in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
Facebook / La Mesita de Almanza

The menu, which is inspired by Native Harvest cuisine, is a five-plus hour experience and is priced at costly $525 per person.

The restaurant ranked as the second most exclusive global restaurant, with a waiting list of approximately a year.

Most of the restaurants with the toughest reservations have taken to only releasing tables in monthly waves.

Others still experience a backlog since the COVID-19 pandemic.