Online booking for restaurants: website, Google or both?

If booking a table takes more than a minute, many diners will simply pick somewhere else. Online booking fills tables while you’re busy serving them. The question is where it should live.

Booking on your website

• You control the experience and branding
• Easy to add deposits, special requests and set menus
• Works with Instagram and Facebook links too

Booking on Google

• A “Reserve a table” button right on your Google Maps listing
• Catches diners at the moment they’re choosing
• Usually connected through your booking system (for example OpenTable, ResDiary or similar)

Why both is best

Use one booking system and connect it to both your website and your Google Business Profile. That way all bookings land in one diary, no double bookings, and you capture diners wherever they find you.

Don’t forget the basics

• Up-to-date menu on your site (as text, not just a PDF)
• Correct opening hours, including holidays
• Fresh food photos on Google and Instagram
• Reviews, and replies to them

See our page for restaurants & cafes, or a website with online booking from £499.

Want us to check yours?

Get a free audit. We’ll send a clear PDF within 2 working days showing what’s working and what to fix, no obligation, no hard sell.