What The Jellycat Diner in NYC is Actually Like
The hottest reservation in town.
I somehow managed the hardest reservation in all of New York City, the coveted Jellycat Diner…Well, technically, my friend got us the reservation.
The Jellycat Diner is inside of the iconic and legendary FAO Schwarz ( which, ironically, I’ve never been to). So this was a super memorable and exciting adventure. The Jellycat Diner has some exclusive items, which also adds to the appeal. They have New York City-exclusive waffles and pancakes! They also have a bagel, which is a US exclusive.
Before I break down my experience, let’s talk about Jellycats.
I’m not 100% sure where the craze for these super cute plushies began, but I do know when and where I got my first. I believe I snagged one of their bashful bunnies in pink in 2023 in a random store in Florida. There was just something about her, and I knew I needed her. What I did not realize at the time was that it would start a new obsession. My collection has grown, and now I own a bunny macaron, a croissant bag charm, a bunny bag charm, and a heart one. At the end of this post, you’ll find out how much this collection has grown from this experience.
Like I said, I’m not sure where the craze began, but I was able to find articles about the rise of Jellycats from 2023. There is so much to speculate as to why these have gained so much popularity in recent years, but scouring the internet, it seems that social media has really helped increase interest in the brand.
I think a huge part of the Jellycat craze is that a lot of people are interested in learning to heal their inner child or making their inner child happy. I also think people are looking for little sweet treats to make them smile since the world is such a dark place. Or it might just be the fact that we have adult money and realize we have free will and can buy giant bunny plushies because we could never afford a house anyways…
There is a lot to say about how collecting trinkets and things is having a moment right now, but that’s another post for another day.
Anyway, let’s talk about the experience.
The Experience
Before I break down the experience, getting a reservation for this was ~so~ hard. A friend and I were looking to book, and everything was gone for the entirety of March by mid-February. We were getting ready to book something for the end of March, but my friend saw a last-minute spot available, so she booked it! She noticed that there was a cancellation and got the spot without a second thought, and I couldn’t be more excited! BTW, she saw this reservation go up at five in the morning!
When we arrived, the person who checked us in confirmed our reservation. We were chatting with them, and they told us that a ton of people have been coming in with fake reservations. They even told us someone came in and spent $150 for a fake reservation, which is honestly mind-blowing. The reservations for the diner are 100% free ( you do have to pay for the Jellycats, though.)
We filled out a little order sheet with our items and our names. The options were a burger, hot dog, pizza, bagel, waffle, and pancake.
After we paid for our new friends, I got Rene Waffle, and I adore her. At the time I write this, she is exclusive to the NYC store, but I believe when you’re reading this, she will be available for online orders too. We were introduced to our chef, who would talk us through the entire ten-minute experience. I went first, and the first thing we did was move over the “stovetop” area of the diner so I could make sure my waffle was cooked.
P.S. We asked permission to shoot content of our chef, and they were thrilled we asked if it was okay. They, of course, were happy to be on camera.
This was around the time when my waffle was flipped to make sure she was perfectly fluffy; I could have asked for her to be crunchy as well. The process of cooking my waffle was a lot of fun and added a much-needed moment of whimsy to my life. Our chef did a great job of making us feel welcome and included, and they made sure we were having fun.
The last step before wrapping up my waffles, so she stays nice and warm, was adding the syrup and some powdered sugar. It was just so fun to play pretend for a few moments, and the people working really did make our experience. I’m sure they do this exact experience a million times a day, but it felt fresh and new. It didn’t feel like we were their 100th client that day.
Overall, although the experience was quite short, it felt so much longer than it actually was. It made me and my inner child happy, and honestly, that’s what really mattered to me. If you are someone who loves theater or playing along and being imaginative, I think you would really enjoy this experience. If you are someone who doesn’t enjoy those things, I do not recommend the experience; you can just buy and go.
I was recently asked if I played with Barbies or Bratz while I was growing up. Although I know I owned them, my mother explained that I always played with stuffed animals or plushies, and I know if the younger me had gone to the Jellycat diner, it would have changed her life. As an adult, it brought me so much joy, and I honestly loved my experience. I will say that if you’re not familiar with Jellycat prices, this is a bit expensive but worth it. In addition to the plushie, you get an exclusive sticker sheet, pin, and a tote. All that is included in the cost of the plushie.
Beyond the diner, in that area of FAO, you can find their collection of food-based Jellycats and a whole section with a ton of bunny Jellycats, so after our experience, we snapped a pic or two and then went shopping.
The Haul
They had the most Jellycats that I’ve ever seen in my life. There are quite a few places in New York City that have Jellycats, but this had the largest selection that I’ve seen so far. They had a section near the diner and one on the second floor, so it is safe to say that I had a fun time shopping.
Before you see how large my haul is, I want to say that a majority of these items are going to be gifted to family and friends. My brother works with grumpy turtles at his job, so I knew I needed to get him this keychain for his bag. My dad is a huge baseball fan, so I wanted to get him the baseball. My mom told me she’d rather not get this type of item, so instead, I bought her a magnet ( it’s not Jellycat-themed). I got
the avocado as part of her birthday gift this year.I was heartbroken to discover that they did not have the angry cloud keychain because it’s the Jellycat I wanted most. However, I am thrilled to add a pink bunny bag charm to my collection and a bunny holding a carrot. I will say that I am still thinking about the carrot that I left behind, so don’t be surprised if that magically shows up in my home.
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