It was bustling on a recent night at Avra on 60th Street and Madison Avenue.
Tables were packed inside and out, the bar was three people deep and locals who popped in casually for a table without a reservation were turned away again and again.
But it wasn’t a Friday, Saturday or even a Thursday — it was Tuesday.
All around the city, restaurateurs and diners are reporting a seismic shift in the vibe on Tuesdays. What used to be a night you could easily slide into popular places with no prior booking has become a coveted slot.
With so many people working from home at least part of the week — and often spending Friday through Monday out east or upstate — restaurants are now eerily quiet on weekends. But by Tuesday, people are back in the city, back at work and ready to go out.
“I was given the Tuesday shift that nobody wanted, but it’s turned out to be the best one of the week,’’ an Avra waiter told The Post with a smile.
“A few months ago, Tuesday became the busiest night at all our restaurants,’’ explained Avra partner Stelios Tsappas. “People are now making reservations two weeks in advance. It shocked me.’’
Derek Axelrod, managing partner of East Side haunt T Bar, has observed similar patterns.
“Tuesday used to be a ghost town by 9:30, but it has become the best night for some odd reason,” he said. “The dynamic in dining has changed; it’s not all about the weekend.’’
Downtown, the same thing is happening.
“The order has been disrupted,’’ said John McDonald, who owns nine downtown restaurants including Lure Fishbar and Bar Tulix in Soho and Bowery Meat Co. in the East Village.
“The normal flow of Monday through Friday that built to the weekend is different and the personality of the nights has changed,” he said. “Tuesday has become not just a night to have dinner, but a real night out.’’
Restaurants are adjusting schedules to keep up with the trend.
Fresco by Scotto in Midtown recently started closing on Mondays and increased its hours and staff on Tuesdays.
“Nobody leaves their homes on Monday anymore, but by the next night, they are ready to go!’’ said news anchor Rosanna Scotto, who co-owns the restaurant with her sister Elaina. “Tuesday has been turning into a party.”
Cucina Alba in Chelsea has extended its Tuesday hours from 9 p.m. to midnight. “All of a sudden, at about 8:30 we have a wave of people coming from uptown now,’’ said food and beverage director Vito Centrone.
Benny Bello, owner of Il Tinello East uptown, has also changed his hours.
“On Tuesday, we would close at 10, but now we are staying open until 11 or 11:30 and we’ve had a 50% jump in business,’’ he said.
Larger parties, including office get-togethers, are now targeting the early weekday — something that was once unthinkable.
“If we had suggested a Tuesday evening for a party before, the organizers would have reacted as if we suggested breakfast!’’ said James Mallios, owner of Amali on East 60th Street. “Now, that night is very much in demand.”
Bello said they’re regularly seating parties of five or 10 on the second day of the week, whereas they once would have had mostly parties of two.
And guests are getting quite boozy early in the week.
Diners are consuming 20% more wine on Tuesdays than on Fridays at hot Midtown spot Monterey, according to Alon Moskovitch, its general manager.
“We are selling $800 bottles of wine, and double the amount of martinis on Tuesday that we sell Friday,” he said.
In the Meatpacking District, a the Gansevoort Hotel, they’ve seen a 185% uptick in customers, according to partner Sean Largotta.
“We used to serve mostly hotel guests on Tuesday, but now we get locals from the Village and Chelsea, and mothers from the Avenue School ordering bottles of expensive wine,’’ he said. “It’s something we’ve never seen before.’’
Mark Strausman has seen business on the particular night at Mark’s Off Madison grow by 20% over last year.
“The bartender doesn’t stop on Tuesdays,’’ he said. “It’s a strange phenomenon and everybody is standing around trying to figure out why it’s so hot.”
Those who want to be able to eat and drink out on Tuesdays now have to plan ahead.
“We used to be able to get a reservation [easily],” says Jared Grayson, a health care consultant who lives in New Canaan, Connecticut, and was sitting at Carlotto on 19th Street with his colleagues on a recent Tuesday.
“But now we have to book two to three weeks in advance — unless we want to eat at 4:30!’’
