Chase Ritz & Concierge = A+

[CreditScholar]

Has anyone used their concierge service to obtain reservations at restaurants which are typically very difficult to obtain (French Laundry, Eleven Madison Park, Masa, Per Se, etc.)? If so, how were your experiences?

[Open123]

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@CreditScholar wrote:

Has anyone used their concierge service to obtain reservations at restaurants which are typically very difficult to obtain (French Laundry, Eleven Madison Park, Masa, Per Se, etc.)? If so, how were your experiences?

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My last experience, I called Amex Plat concierge for a reservation at The French Laundry and was seated on that very night.  I'm not sure if same day reservations were an aberration, or a normal occurence.  On another occasion, I was able to secure a same day reservation at Chez Panisse with Amex Plat.  While I didn't receive anything special from The French Laundry, I think the latter offered us complimentary Port.  Also, with Amex Plat, was able to make a same day reservations at Acquerello during peak season, and received some complimentary champagne.

On every occasion, I felt we were treated extemely well, but that's to be expected in fine dining establishments, I suppose.  If having an Amex Plat made a difference, I really didn't notice.  Next time, I'm going to try calling the JPM Concierge and compare the experience with Amex.

[Anonymous]

with Ritz annual fee, I expect them to show up in batmobile and help me with what I need.

[jsucool76]

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@CreditScholar wrote:

Has anyone used their concierge service to obtain reservations at restaurants which are typically very difficult to obtain (French Laundry, Eleven Madison Park, Masa, Per Se, etc.)? If so, how were your experiences?

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I used my ritz concierge to get a reservation at Atera in NYC for their 6PM seating. They only seat like 16 people per session, and they'll only start taking reservations 30 days in advance. They got me that, and it was a full seating when i arrived,  so I assume it's kind of hard to make. 

[Open123]

Hm, if I have time this coming Friday, going to try the Cheesecake Factory during the busiest time, and see if the JPM Ritz can arrange a table without waiting.

[CreditScholar]

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@Open123 wrote:

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@CreditScholar wrote:

Has anyone used their concierge service to obtain reservations at restaurants which are typically very difficult to obtain (French Laundry, Eleven Madison Park, Masa, Per Se, etc.)? If so, how were your experiences?

---

My last experience, I called Amex Plat concierge for a reservation at The French Laundry and was seated on that very night.  I'm not sure if same day reservations were an aberration, or a normal occurence.  On another occasion, I was able to secure a same day reservation at Chez Panisse with Amex Plat.  While I didn't receive anything special from The French Laundry, I think the latter offered us complimentary Port.  Also, with Amex Plat, was able to make a same day reservations at Acquerello during peak season, and received some complimentary champagne.

On every occasion, I felt we were treated extemely well, but that's to be expected in fine dining establishments, I suppose.  If having an Amex Plat made a difference, I really didn't notice.  Next time, I'm going to try calling the JPM Concierge and compare the experience with Amex.

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How did you find Acquerello? We have reservations for both them and La Folie next month, but only have time to keep one.

[jsucool76]

The one benefit of amex plat concierge over JPM concierge is the amex plat dining program. Amex holds reservations at a lot of restaurants around the world in case you happen to want a last minute reservation. There's a list in the amex plat benefit page.

[Open123]

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@CreditScholar wrote:

How did you find Acquerello? We have reservations for both them and La Folie next month, but only have time to keep one.

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Between the two, my personal preference is for La Folie.  

In my view, I think La Folie is the best and most authentic "fancy" French cuisine in central San Francisco.  I find it better than Fleur De Lys, which seems to be the favorite of critics and national publications.  While their menus are seasonal, of course, their oxtail, cote de boeuf, and foie gras was very well done the last time I had dined there.  Wine list is vast with some really excellent Bordeaux (Cabernets) and Pinot Noirs.  I found their pastry chef world class and likely one of the best souffles I've ever had anywhere.  

Acquerello is nice with a great ambience, in the classical Italian sense.  From my point of view, I found it more nouveau Italian, but all their dishes were very well done.  Unlike with La Folie, no single entree or dish really stood out for me.  It's a fine dining experience, but I find La Folie a better value.  Though, I may be biased, since I've always felt that of the 3 great cusines--Chinese, French, Italian--French is easily my favorite. 

If you haven't tried either before, I'd highly recommend going with La Folie.  

*Edited* PS - The two are in such close proximity, you can reserve both and walk by each to peruse the menu before settling on one.

[CreditScholar]

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@Open123 wrote:

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@CreditScholar wrote:

How did you find Acquerello? We have reservations for both them and La Folie next month, but only have time to keep one.

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Between the two, my personal preference is for La Folie.  

In my view, I think La Folie is the best and most authentic "fancy" French cuisine in central San Francisco.  I find it better than Fleur De Lys, which seems to be the favorite of critics and national publications.  While their menus are seasonal, of course, their oxtail, cote de boeuf, and foie gras was very well done the last time I had dined there.  Wine list is vast with some really excellent Bordeaux (Cabernets) and Pinot Noirs.  I found their pastry chef world class and likely one of the best souffles I've ever had anywhere.  

Acquerello is nice with a great ambience, in the classical Italian sense.  From my point of view, I found it more nouveau Italian, but all their dishes were very well done.  Unlike with La Folie, no single entree or dish really stood out for me.  It's a fine dining experience, but I find La Folie a better value.  Though, I may be biased, since I've always felt that of the 3 great cusines--Chinese, French, Italian--French is easily my favorite. 

If you haven't tried either before, I'd highly recommend going with La Folie.  

*Edited* PS - The two are in such close proximity, you can reserve both and walk by each to peruse the menu before settling on one.

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Thanks for the insight. I was already leaning towards La Folie, but I think this seals it.

If we had more time, I wouldn't mind trying both. However we've already got reservations for several fine dining restaurants in a relatively short amount of time. I'm concerned that if I added any more to our schedule we'd practically explode

[Anonymous]

I know Amex Platinum's dining program is great for small, high-end restaurants...and it sounds like the R-C concierge can pull some strings, too. I don't know how Citi Prestige compares.

Has anyone ever tried to use VS/WMC/WEMC concierge (successfully or not) to skip the line at a place like Cheesecake Factory (with a long line, but also a lot of tables, allowing a "VIP" to be seated without any substantial interruption)?

I've not used those concierge services before. It seems people like to contact VS/WMC/WEMC for some pretty basic stuff anyone can do with an internet connection (though if you are temporarily without internet access and need help with something quickly, I could certainly see the value in it).

For more complicated stuff, and things that require special connections/influence, I would probably have more confidence in one of the $400-ish AF cards.