How to Get a Reservation at Lilia

Lilia is one of the most sought-after tables in New York and has been since it opened in Williamsburg in 2016. The good news is that it has more paths to a seat than most restaurants at its level.

The drop

Reservations release on Resy at 10 AM, 28 days out. The window moves fast. Prime Saturday dinner slots are gone within minutes. Set an alarm, be signed into Resy before the minute turns, and have your party size and date ready to go. Don't browse; book.

Weekday dinners are meaningfully easier to land than weekends. If your schedule is flexible, aim for Tuesday through Thursday. The drop date math matters: if you want a Friday dinner, you're booking on a Friday morning 28 days prior. Set the alarm accordingly.

The 2 PM window

Same-day cancellations at Lilia tend to surface around 2 PM. This is not a rumor. Lilia's own team has confirmed it. If you missed the drop for your target date, check Resy in the early afternoon on the day you want to go. It won't work every time, but it works often enough to be a real strategy.

Walk-in

Lilia holds bar and patio seats for walk-ins every night. This is one of the most reliable walk-in programs among restaurants at this difficulty level. Arrive by 4 PM on weekends and by 5 PM on weekdays to have a reasonable chance. Later than that and the wait becomes unpredictable. The bar seats are full service with the full menu. There is no compromise on the experience. Via Carota in the West Village runs a similar walk-in program.

By phone

Lilia takes calls from 10 AM to 4 PM. The phone line occasionally surfaces availability that isn't visible on Resy. If you're flexible on date and have tried the app, a call is worth the two minutes.

Amex access

Lilia participates in Amex Global Dining Access by Resy for Platinum cardholders and is one of eight inaugural NYC restaurants in the Platinum Nights by Resy program. The distinction matters. Standard GDA gives Platinum cardholders Priority Notify: you get alerted when availability opens before the general public does. Platinum Nights goes further. It reserves a portion of the restaurant's inventory exclusively for Platinum cardholders, meaning seats that never appear in the public Resy window at all. If you hold an Amex Platinum, open the Resy app, go to the GDA tab, and check Lilia there before looking at the public calendar. You may find availability that doesn't exist anywhere else.