The best time to book a San Francisco restaurant
When tables open at the 11 San Francisco restaurants we watch, and how long they last once they do.
- 1,240 openings measured
- Last 90 days, refreshed nightly
- Same-day tables
- About 8% of San Francisco openings were for the same night: a minority, so book ahead.
- How long a table lasts
- Mostly hours, not minutes. The exceptions are the fastest places, where one is gone in minutes.
When tables open
These tables count openings: a table that appeared on the public calendar and was later taken. Seating hours are the time of the meal, not the time the table appeared.
Share of all openings by the seating hour (local time).
| Seating | Share of openings |
|---|---|
| 11 AM | 1% |
| 12 PM | 2% |
| 4 PM | 1% |
| 5 PM | 23% |
| 6 PM | 11% |
| 7 PM | 17% |
| 8 PM | 30% |
| 9 PM | 13% |
| 10 PM | 2% |
Share of all openings by the day the table was for.
| Day | Share of openings |
|---|---|
| Sunday | 9% |
| Monday | 5% |
| Tuesday | 10% |
| Wednesday | 14% |
| Thursday | 21% |
| Friday | 21% |
| Saturday | 21% |
Where same-day tables appear most: share of a restaurant's openings that were for that same night.
| Restaurant | Same-day share | Typical table lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Californios | 22% | about 5 minutes |
| Maria Isabel | 16% | about 1.3 hours |
| Four Kings | 9% | about 1.3 hours |
| Quince | 9% | about 17 hours |
| The Happy Crane | 9% | about 25 hours |
| side a | 9% | about 15 hours |
| Friends Only | 9% | about 24 hours |
| Benu | 7% | about 6 hours |
| Lazy Bear | 4% | about 15 hours |
| Restaurant Naides | 0% | about 1.6 hours |
Where you must be fastest: the typical time a table stayed bookable.
| Restaurant | Typical table lasts | Gone within 5 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Californios | about 5 minutes | 23% |
| Maria Isabel | about 1.3 hours | 8% |
| Four Kings | about 1.3 hours | 6% |
| Restaurant Naides | about 1.6 hours | 0% |
| Benu | about 6 hours | 0% |
| side a | about 15 hours | 0% |
| Lazy Bear | about 15 hours | 0% |
| Quince | about 17 hours | 0% |
| Friends Only | about 24 hours | 0% |
| The Happy Crane | about 25 hours | 0% |
Proprietary data: Table Alert checks each restaurant's public booking calendar around the clock; these figures cover the last 90 days, through November 11, 2026, vouched restaurants only, and are refreshed every night.
What the numbers mean for you
San Francisco's openings are mostly late-evening seatings, with a second block at 5 PM. Plan for the 7 PM to 9 PM table, and expect openings mostly for Thursday, Friday and Saturday; Monday is the thinnest day.
Same-day openings do happen. Californios is the restaurant with the largest same-night share, 22% of its openings, as of November 11, 2026.
Californios is the place to be fastest: the typical table lasts about 5 minutes. Fù Huì Huá, the most watched, has too few openings measured to time. Elsewhere you usually have hours.
What is measured, and what is not
We check each restaurant's public booking calendar around the clock. We count a table from when it appeared to when it was taken. The typical time is the middle one, so a few long-lasting tables do not skew it.
These are the 11 restaurants we watch, a small sample of San Francisco. Restaurants that sell mainly by phone are largely invisible to a calendar.
How it works
Set it once.
We refresh so you don’t have to.
-
Add a restaurant
Pick your restaurant and set your preferences.
-
We track it nonstop
We re-check every few seconds — cancellations, no-shows, and fresh drops.
-
You get the alert
Push, SMS, or email the instant a table opens. One tap to book.
30-day money-back guarantee · Cancel anytime
Live
Watch the trackers work — right now.
A live look at our actual checks. Every slot below is real.
30-day money-back guarantee
Reviews
The table they thought was impossible.
-
Lifesaver service for booking difficult reservations
“Been looking for something like this for years, so glad I finally found it. It actually works — I just set up my alerts and wait for them to ping me. Already more than paid for itself with the couple of reservations I’ve managed to get this month alone.”
Ally UK · Booked restaurants in Tokyo -
Table Alert is great!!
“I got a reservation at Somni — 3 Michelin stars, booked up until forever — within a week of setting my alert. And Jacob is super responsive and friendly. What a gift to diners!”
Jordan C.
US · Booked Somni, West Hollywood
-
Table Alert is a total game changer
“Table Alert is a total game changer. I love the interface and integration with so many different reservations platforms. It makes planning travel significantly easier.”
Jerry
US · Booked restaurants in Tokyo
-
Excellent app
“Works very well! I was able to snag very difficult reservations. Issues are fixed and addressed immediately!”
Ryan US · Booked n/naka, Los Angeles -
Excellent and highly useful app!
“Excellent and highly useful app! Have been on it only for a few days and have already secured a booking to a world-famous restaurant.”
Rick US · Booked Disfrutar, Barcelona -
Booked 2 restaurants in Korea on short notice
“Was able to book 2 restaurants in Korea on short notice during my trip. Also got myself a Disfrutar booking for September. Thanks to the creator of the app!”
Alexander G.
UK · Booked Kwonsooksoo, Seoul
30-day money-back guarantee · Cancel anytime
Pricing
Costs less than a single drink.
Alerts within 30 seconds. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pro
No limits. Every restaurant, everywhere.
Billed as $189/year
Standard
More restaurants. More control.
Billed as $84/year
Essential
For the restaurants you can't stop thinking about.
Billed as $48/year
No alert within 30 days? Full refund, no questions asked.
FAQ
The best time to book a San Francisco restaurant: questions people ask
Some restaurants add new dates at a steady time (see the release-times page); others show no pattern we can see. We cannot tell a cancellation from a new release. In our data most openings are for evening seatings, and the days with the most are Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Sometimes. About 8% of the openings we saw were for the same night, more at Californios and Maria Isabel. The same-day table above lists the restaurants where it is most common.
At most restaurants we watch the typical table stays for hours. At Californios it is minutes. Fù Huì Huá, the most watched, has too few openings measured to time. The fastest-table list above ranks the rest.
The weekday table above gives each day's share. In San Francisco Thursday to Saturday lead and Monday is lowest; shares move slowly, so check the table for the current figures.
No. It covers the 11 San Francisco restaurants we watch and can vouch for. It is a small sample, and a restaurant outside it may behave differently.
No. Table Alert alerts you the moment a table appears, and you book it yourself on the restaurant's booking page. We never book, hold or resell reservations.
No alert within your first 30 days? Cancel and send us an email. We'll refund you in full — no questions asked.
Yes. Cancel from your account settings at any time. You'll keep access until your subscription expires.
62,198+ restaurants across Resy, Omakase, Tock, SevenRooms, OpenTable, TableCheck, and more — including the hardest tables in Tokyo, New York, Paris, and beyond. Search here to see if we cover yours.
Sources and how this page is made
Written by Jacob, founder of Table Alert. Facts checked against the sources below on November 12, 2026. The monitoring numbers are Table Alert's own, refreshed every night (latest: November 11, 2026). Out of date? Tell us.
More booking guides
Stop refreshing. Start dining.
Pick your restaurant. We’ll watch it every second. The next open table has your name on it.
30-day money-back guarantee Cancel anytime