5 things every UK restaurant website needs

A restaurant website has one job: get someone hungry to book a table or place an order. Fancy extras can wait — nail these five first.

1. The menu, front and centre

It's the first thing most people look for. Keep it on the site itself (not a slow PDF), easy to read on a phone, and up to date. If prices change, the site should change with them.

2. A booking button that works on mobile

Whether it's your booking system or a simple 'Reserve a table' enquiry, make it one tap and always visible. For many places a tappable phone number does the job just as well.

3. Real food photography

Good, warm photos of your actual dishes and room sell more than any words. Bright, appetising images near the top set the mood before a diner reads a single line.

4. Hours, location and a map

Are you open tonight? Where exactly are you? A clear 'open now' status, opening hours, and a map with directions remove the two biggest reasons people give up and pick somewhere else.

5. Reviews and a reason you're different

A few genuine reviews and a one-line story — 'wood-fired since 2009', 'the day's best catch' — give a diner the nudge to choose you over the place next door.