Are NYC Diners Dressing Too Casually? The Death of Restaurant Dress Codes

Once a city of style, New York’s fine dining scene is now flooded with hoodies, sweatpants, and baseball caps.

Crane Club occupies the a grand space that was home to Del Posto for years, but some patrons are keeping it casual.Olga Ginzburg for NY Post

According to the NY Post, New York City was once a place where dressing up for a night out was part of the magic. Fine dining meant elegance—men in suits, women in chic dresses, the whole experience feeling like a scene from a classic film. But now? Hoodies at Michelin-starred restaurants, sweatpants at exclusive bistros, and baseball caps at places that used to turn people away for less. What happened to NYC restaurant dress code?

From Formal to Frumpy: What Happened to NYC restaurant dress code?

It used to be that if you finally snagged a reservation at an in-demand spot, you’d dress the part. Now, some people spend weeks trying to get a table only to show up looking like they just rolled out of bed. Restaurants, still recovering from the pandemic, are reluctant to enforce dress codes for fear of losing business. Even once-strict places like Le Bernardin have softened their rules, shifting from “jackets required” to just “jackets recommended.”

At Peak, there’s a three-course prix-fixe for $135 — and diners in jeans, puffers and untucked shirts. Stefano Giovannini

And it’s not just guests who are noticing. Restaurant managers are quietly strategizing how to keep the atmosphere polished without offending anyone. Some places, like La Goulue, discreetly seat underdressed diners in the back, while others try to enforce a “harmonious” seating plan to keep the fashionable and the frumpy from clashing too much.

Can NYC Bring Back Style?

Some restaurant owners and managers are pushing back. At Le Pavillon, athletic wear and cargo shorts have been banned after complaints from well-dressed guests. Others, like Le Bilboquet, have kept a “dress to impress” policy, even if not everyone follows it.

The question is: Is this just the new reality, or will New York reclaim its reputation as a city where dining out is still an occasion?

Would love to hear your thoughts—do you miss the days of formal restaurant dress codes, or do you think it’s great that dining has become more relaxed? Drop a comment below!