In case you want to know what the hottest tables in town are in the city that doesn’t sleep, here’s the 411 on the 212. Though they might be the toughest reservations to get, I assure you, the experience that awaits is definitely worth the effort.

Though it fools you into thinking it’s merely a “corner deli,” La Esquina (pictured above) in the heart of SoHo actually has a secret downstairs restaurant that you have to access through the kitchen. This sexy, dimly lit Latin eatery comes complete with killer fare, margaritas, and dripping candles. Insider Tip: call in advance for a reservation requesting a table downstairs and beware – they will look you up and down to make sure you pass their are-you-hot-or-not test before admitting you into their underground lair. (114 Kenmare Street at Cleveland Place; 646-613-7100)

If you want a table between Barbara Walters and Bettheny Frankel, you’re gonna have to learn the secret handshake that grants the lucky few entry into Monkey Bar – the latest re-installment from Vanity Fair‘s Greydon Carter in Midtown. Once you make your way through the bar, you’ll step down into the main dining room packed with socialites, celebs, and the who’s who of NYC. Insider Tip: You’ll need your hotel concierge or your super well-connected hipster friend to get you into this hotter-than-hot joint (60 East 54th Street between Madison and Park Avenues; 212-838-2600)

First, there was Balthazar. So it only made sense for acclaimed NYC restaurateur Keith McNally to open a sister brasserie in the heart of the Meatpacking district also known as Pastis. If you want to know where the best see-and-be-scene brunch crowd is on the weekends, this is your place. Whether you get the burger or the eggs Benedict, everything on this menu is a home run. Insider Tip: Don’t go for dinner, this is a brunch spot and that’s what it does best. (9 9th Avenue at Little West 12th Street; 212-929-4844)

Rumor has it that back in the mob boss days, the West Village’s Minetta Tavern (pictured right) could have easily been the perfect setting for a real-life godfather hit. Thanks, again, to Mr. McNally and his cracker jack team of badass industry veterans, you, too, can now sit at the tables where the mafia’s dons had their weekly steak dinners. This is a tavern, and a cozy one at that. So don’t expect anything fancy but do expect great music and a surefire good time. Insider Tip: There are two burgers on the menu. I dare you to order both and see which one you love more. (113 MacDougal Street at Bleecker and West 3rd Streets; 212-475-3850)

Before there was Monkey Bar, the hardest reservation to get was for Greydon Carter’s first love -  The Waverly Inn. Housed below a charming corner building in a West Village neighborhood, Waverly feels like the kind of pub-meets-restaurant one would expect to find in a village in Ireland. The space is divided into multiple rooms, one of which, has walls adorned with the famous Vanity Fair caricatures. Even if you are lucky enough to score a reservation, expect to wait an hour for your table after your prompt arrival. Insider Tip: Take it from me – the $75 truffle mac ‘n cheese is worth every penny.  (16 Bank Street at Waverly Place; 212-243-7900)

In case you missed the memo, the Cooper Square Hotel is one of the trendiest new boutique hotels in Manhattan naturally situated in the hipster Bowery neighborhood. And after it’s highly anticipated opening,  Table 8 lives up to its expectations. Insider Tip: Grab a pre-dinner cocktail in the lobby of the Cooper Square Hotel and grab a post-dinner nightcap at the nearby Bowery Hotel where you just might run into Sting on his way out. (25 Cooper Square at East 5th Street; 212-475-5700)

If nabbing a table next to Lindsay Lohan is your cup of tea, then head over to the West Village’s swanky new Charles restaurant by some of the same hot shots behind Waverly Inn. It’s so small you’ll have to go outside to change your mind but you’ll get a little slice of LA at this fashion and music industry fave where tables are barely inches apart. Insider Tip: The bar is about a foot long so don’t think you’ll be hanging out for cocktails before your table’s ready. And dress to impress – you never know WHO will be sitting next to you. (234 West 4th Street at West 10th Street; 212-555-1212)

Feel like a deer in headlights with all of the choices? Leave the antlers to the folks at Freemans (pictured left) who designed a space reminiscent of a Montana cabin complete with taxidermy-peppered interiors. Grub on superb gourmet fare while gawking at locals and boho hipsters. Insider Tip: This joint is so cool it’s where CHANEL execs take out-of-town guests, and clearly, they would know. (Freeman Alley off Rivington Street between Bowery and Chrystie Streets; 212-420-0012)

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