With restaurants and worldwide travel back in full swing, it’s a great time to learn about American Express Global Dining Access by Resy and how it can save you some serious cash at some of the finest dining establishments in the world.
Let’s take a look at the details and see how you can maximize your next meal.
Special 0ffer for American Express Member Week
American Express is currently running a Member Week Oct. 10-14 and to celebrate, today launched an offer for select cardmembers.
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Check your Amex Offers to see whether you are eligible to receive a $25 statement credit after spending $75+ in a single purchase at over 200 Resy restaurants. You can take advantage of this offer up to two times. You need to add the offer to your card by Oct. 14 and complete your purchases by Dec. 8.
What is Global Dining Access by Resy?
The Global Dining Access by Resy is a portfolio of restaurants around the world that partner with Amex to offer top-tier cardmembers premium dining experiences at some of the top spots in town. Think: special menu items, free drinks and, perhaps best of all, prime restaurant reservations. Yes, even those at venues fully booked online. Many of the restaurants have earned Michelin stars, or are continually listed as the best in their given city.
Related: How my Amex scored me a last-minute dinner reservation on the busiest night of the year
While reservations aren’t always guaranteed, it’s always good to know you have this benefit in your back pocket. It’s like having a close friend who always has a connection at the hottest restaurant in town.
Which cards are eligible for Global Dining Access by Resy?
How do you access this amazing perk? Well, first, since this is an exclusive perk for certain cardholders, you’ll need to have one of the following cards:
Even if you don’t currently have one of those cards, you can still browse the list of restaurants and take note of places you may want to visit in the future.
The information for the Centurion Card, Business Centurion Card, Corporate Platinum Card, Corporate Centurion Card and Hilton Honors Aspire Card from Amex has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Amex Yurt Villages: An incredible dinner at Lilia in New York City
How does Global Dining Access by Resy work?
When you want to make a reservation, you’ll need to contact the Amex concierge by calling the phone number listed on the back of your qualifying credit card. An agent will ask how they can help. It definitely pays to do some research ahead of time and narrow down a handful of restaurants you want them to check in on.
Keep in mind, though, you’ll be subject to the restaurant’s cancellation policy. This typically varies by restaurant, but most range from a 24-hour cancellation period to noon the day of your reservation. If you cancel after that time frame, you’ll likely have to pay a fee — typically $50 or more. The agent should explain your desired restaurant’s policy before your reservation is booked. The service itself is free of charge.
Similarly, Amex has a reservation booking feature on its app. The tool gives you access to reservations at more than 10,000 restaurants worldwide with just a few taps on your screen. To access, go to the “Membership” section and select “Reserve Top Restaurants.”
On a recent occasion, I attempted to use the app to search for restaurant reservations in my city, as well as different cities and using various dates, but I couldn’t get any restaurants to show up for availability. That said, calling the concierge may still be your best bet.
Related: 6 ways an Amex Platinum concierge can help get you through the pandemic
Participating restaurants
This is where things get really fun.
As we mentioned earlier, some of the top restaurants in the world are part of this collection. Below are some of our personal favorites. Note that this is by no means an inclusive list: There are more than 100 restaurants in New York City alone! So you’ll definitely want to check out the full list on Amex’s site, as well.
North America
- Carbon, New York City
- Eleven Madison Park, New York City
- Daniel, New York City
- Alta Adams Los Angeles
- Chi Spacca, Los Angeles
- Birch & Rye, San Francisco
- Nari, San Francisco
- RPM Italian, Chicago
- Zahav, Philadelphia
- Jaguar Sun, Miami
- Rosie’s, Miami
Related: The 29 best restaurants in New York City
Europe
- El Cellar, Girona, Spain
- Core, London
- Mirazur, France
- Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
If you don’t have a certain restaurant in mind, you can also call Amex and see what availability they might have for your given time, date and city.
Bottom line
Of course, no matter where you end up dining, you’ll want to use a card that earns you bonus points on dining. Even though you’ll need to have one of the aforementioned cards to have Global Dining Access, you don’t have to pay with it. In fact, you probably shouldn’t, as there are other cards out there that earn more on dining purchases.
My personal favorite is the American Express® Gold Card, since you’ll earn 4 valuable Membership Rewards points per dollar at restaurants. The card is currently offering a welcome bonus of 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first six months of account opening. Based on our latest valuations, that bonus is worth $1,200.
You’ll also earn up to $120 in annual dining statement credits. If you travel abroad frequently, you’ll be pleased to know there are no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).
The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card are also fan favorites, both earning 3 points per dollar on dining.
Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a dinner reservation to attend.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, click here.
Additional reporting by Ryan Wilcox and Senitra Horbrook.
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