I was shut out of the city’s holiday bars. Here’s how to get a seat.

It was Saturday afternoon, and I was decked out in my holiday sweater, friends in tow, ready to hit the holiday bars.

I had made a Google map with all the locations ready to go, and had looked up what times they opened. I was dreaming of a fancy spiked hot chocolate, or maybe some kind of silly drink with a snowman in it, or maybe a gingerbread espresso martini. I felt sure a novelty cup of some sort was in my future.

But at bar after bar, I found myself out of luck.

The Ritz-Carlton pink holiday bar required tickets in advance, so we skipped that. At the brightly bedecked Craftsman Row Saloon, the hostess informed me that they weren’t talking walk-ins and all reservations had been snapped up for the night.

On it went: Every holiday bar I tried turned us away at the door. We did manage to sneak in to Tinsel for one silly drink, where I got something that tasted like a caramel apple and sipped it out of a Santa boot-shaped mug. But at the next location, and the one after, we got shut out. Eventually, my festively dressed crew and I gave up and wandered to Dirty Frank’s, instead. It was festive and cozy, but there wasn’t a novelty glass in sight.

You might think well yeah dummy, of course they were going to be crowded on a Saturday in December. And fair enough! But I had looked up all the places and spotted no sign that a reservation needed to be made in advance, except for the Ritz-Carlton.

So: How do you actually get into a holiday bar? Are there better times? How far in advance do you need to plan? Can you ever just waltz in and expect a seating? I turned to my colleague and top-notch service reporter Hira Qureshi to get answers.

The holiday season is a good time to practice patience, especially when it comes to Philly’s holiday bars.

Reservations are a good option. But if you do plan to waltz in for a fun drink with friends, you should expect a wait time.

Take Craftsman Row Saloon: Reservations book fast on OpenTable, and walk-ins can face up to a three-hour wait. A Craftsman host suggested ordering snacks and cocktails all at once for a quick turnaround if you score a spot.

At McGillin’s Olde Ale House, walk-ins are your only option. While getting a holiday sipper at the bar is pretty easy any day of the week, you’ll have to be a bit more strategic to get a table. Before the evening rush during the week and 11 a.m. on weekends are your best bets to avoid an up to 45-minute to an hour-long wait at Philly’s oldest tavern.

Before 7 p.m. on weekdays is the sweet spot for a 90-minute dining window at Taqueria Amor: Señor Grinch Pop-up. For your weekend holiday shenanigans, be prepared to wait 45 minutes to an hour. Whenever you go, make sure everyone in your party is present to be seated on time.

Staff at Butcher Bar highly recommend reservations during brunch hours and on weekends. Walk-ins are easier to accommodate in the early evenings. Head to the Center City restaurant from 4 to 6 p.m. to avoid the 30-minute to hour-long wait during busier hours.

And when in doubt, calling ahead to check availability is always a smart move. If you plan ahead for crowds and keep a merry spirit, you’re sure to avoid turning into a Grinch because of holiday bars.