A restaurant homepage that fills tables

Key takeaways

A restaurant homepage fills tables when the first screen shows what kind of food, where, when you are open and a 'Book a table' button, followed by the menu as real text, great photos that load fast and clear allergen information. Most diners are on a phone and close to deciding, so speed and simplicity matter more than design flourishes.

• First screen: cuisine, location, today's hours, Book a table.
• Menu as web text, not a PDF.
• Real food and room photos, compressed for phones.
• Explain how diners get allergen information.

What do diners want from a restaurant homepage?

Diners want to know what kind of food you serve, where you are, whether you are open, what it costs roughly and how to book. Many are deciding tonight, on a phone. A homepage that hides the menu in a PDF or opens with a slow video loses them to the next search result.

• Why your homepage is not converting visitors into customers
• Websites for UK hospitality businesses

What belongs in the first screen?

The cuisine and style, the area, today's opening hours and a 'Book a table' button, with a strong photo of the food or room. If you take walk-ins, say so. A tappable phone number and a directions link help diners who are already on their way.

• Restaurant mobile websites: menu, booking and directions
• Maps and directions on a mobile website: get visitors there

How should the menu appear?

As web text on its own page, linked clearly from the homepage, with prices. PDFs are slow and hard to read on phones, as Nielsen Norman Group has long found. Text menus also appear in search. Keep seasonal menus updated and dated.

• How often should you update your homepage?

What about allergens and hygiene ratings?

Food businesses must give allergen information for the 14 regulated allergens. Online, explain how diners can get it, and show menu allergen information if you publish it. Food hygiene ratings must be displayed at premises in Wales and Northern Ireland; showing a good rating online can help anywhere.

• An FAQ section on your homepage: when it helps
• The trust bar under your hero: what goes in it

What slows restaurant homepages down?

Large photo galleries, background videos, Instagram feeds and embedded booking widgets. Compress photos, link to the booking flow rather than embedding a heavy widget, and drop feeds that duplicate your social profiles.

• Restaurant and hotel website speed: menus and bookings
• Homepage too heavy? What to cut from the page weight

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a beautiful homepage with a full-screen video, the menu as a PDF and booking two clicks away. Replacing the video with a still, putting the menu in text and adding 'Book a table' to the header usually brings more online bookings from phone visitors.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Restaurant homepage checklist

• Show cuisine, area, today's hours and Book a table first.
• Put the menu in web text with prices.
• Compress food and room photos.
• Explain how to get allergen information.
• Link to booking rather than embedding a heavy widget.
• Add directions and a tappable number.

• A clinic homepage that books appointments within the rules
• An online shop homepage that moves shoppers to products

Next step

At 6pm tonight, search for your restaurant on your phone and try to book a table. Time how long it takes.