The Lowdown on Lilia
The secret to a stress-free dining experience at one of NYC’s hottest restaurants
Frequent visitors to Tiffany Tastes might not be surprised to discover that one of my favorite things to eat are noodles! And, I’m an equal opportunity noodle consumer — spaghetti, tagliatelle, rice noodles, glass noodles, udon noodles, ramen noodles. Hell, I even like tofu shirataki noodles.
And it’s probably not a surprise that one of my favorite restaurants in NYC (so far) is a trendy eatery in Brooklyn that just so happens to do noodles (and many other things) really, really well.
When one of my favorite dining partners, Rachel, said she wanted to try Lilia, Chef Missy Robbins’ ode to classic Italian cuisine, I was stoked. I had been once before, about 18 months ago, and the food was so good, I don’t know what had taken me so long to return.
Snagging a reservation is much harder now than when my husband and I first chowed down at Lilia back in February 2016. These days, reservations open up 30 days in advance, and if you’re not stalking Resy at midnight a month before your target date, chances are, you’re going to come up empty (like I did a few weeks ago when I tried to lock down a coveted Saturday night booking.)
But, don’t fear! One of the really (okay, only) great features of Resy is that it allows you to get notifications on the rare occasion that someone cancels and a reservation miraculously opens up. Just set the time range that you’re willing to dine (I picked 5:30–9:00 p.m.) and you’re good to go. (Pro tip: Make sure to allow push notifications if you want timely alerts. Resy emailed me about an opening that came available, and I didn’t see it until 6 hours later — and of course it was too late).
And, if you can’t get a reservation, there’s still hope — as long as you don’t mind sitting at the bar. Lilia bar seating is first come, first serve. Rachel and I came in a few minutes before they opened (5:30), grabbed a drink at their little wine bar/cafe next door, and as soon as we were able, grabbed two prime seats at the bar in the main restaurant space. I would say, as long as you show up by 5:35/5:40, you stand a pretty good chance of catching the first round of seating.
And, honestly, outside of the stools not having backs (what’s up with that anyway?), sitting at the bar is far and away the better option if you want to have a nice, leisurely dinner.
Rachel and I enjoyed many courses (and much wine) over several hours. We made friends with newlyweds who had been wanting to try Lilia for months and with a couple of guys that tried to bum a cigarette though we didn’t have any. We bought shots for a woman celebrating her birthday, and even though we were at the bar, we received amazing and attentive service all around.
I highly recommend taking the L train out to Brooklyn and giving Lilia a try. My second experience didn’t disappoint, and I definitely won’t be waiting 18 months until my next visit.
