Industry Guide

Restaurant website design UK

A complete guide to creating an effective website for your restaurant, cafe, or food business. Learn essential features, online ordering options, photography tips, SEO strategies, and what to budget for a restaurant website in the UK.

Essential features Cost guide

70%

of restaurant searches are on mobile

77%

check menus online before visiting

15-35%

commission charged by delivery apps

3 sec

maximum load time before visitors leave

Why It Matters

Your restaurant website is your digital front door

These days, your website is often the first interaction customers have with your restaurant. Before they taste your food or experience your atmosphere, they're judging you online. A dated, slow, or confusing website tells them your establishment might be the same.

The hospitality industry has been transformed by digital expectations. Customers now expect to view your full menu with prices, book a table or order food online, see current photos of your dishes, and find you easily on mobile - all without making a phone call.

Whether you run a fine dining establishment, a neighbourhood cafe, a bustling takeaway, or a pub with food, your website needs to work as hard as you do. This guide covers everything you need to create an effective restaurant website that brings customers through your door.

What makes a great restaurant website?

A great restaurant website does three things exceptionally well: it makes your food look irresistible, it makes booking or ordering effortless, and it's fast and easy to use on mobile devices. Everything else is secondary. Get these fundamentals right, and your website becomes a genuine asset for your business.

Must-Have Elements

Essential features for restaurant websites

These are the features your restaurant website needs, ordered by importance. Start with the critical items and add more as your budget allows.

Menu display

Critical

Clear, easy-to-read menu with accurate prices. HTML format for SEO, with PDF download option.

Location & hours

Critical

Address, opening hours, phone number, and embedded Google Maps. Make it easy to find you.

Mobile responsiveness

Critical

Perfect display and functionality on all devices. Most restaurant searches are mobile.

High-quality imagery

Critical

Professional photos of food, interior, and atmosphere. First impressions matter.

Online reservations

High

Table booking system or enquiry form. Reduce phone calls and capture bookings 24/7.

Social media links

High

Links to Instagram, Facebook, TripAdvisor. Social proof builds trust.

Delivery platform links

High

Direct links to Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats if you use them.

Contact form

Medium

For enquiries, private events, catering requests, and general questions.

About section

Medium

Your story, chef background, sourcing philosophy. Builds connection with customers.

Online ordering

Optional

Direct ordering for collection/delivery. Saves commission vs third-party apps.

Gift vouchers

Optional

Online gift card purchases. Popular for occasions and generates advance revenue.

Loyalty programme

Optional

Reward repeat customers. Works best for casual dining and cafes.

Focus on the Basics First

Many restaurants overcomplicate their websites. Before adding fancy features, ensure your menu is easy to read, your contact details are prominent, and your site works perfectly on mobile. These fundamentals matter far more than flashy animations or complex functionality.

Taking Orders Online

Online ordering options for restaurants

Should you use delivery platforms, build your own ordering system, or both? Here's an honest comparison of the options.

Third-party platforms

Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats

Pros

Easy setup, built-in customer base, marketing exposure

Cons

15-35% commission, no customer data ownership, platform dependency

Best For

New restaurants, discovery, busy periods

Website integration

Square Online, GloriaFood, ChowNow

Pros

Lower ongoing costs, own customer data, brand consistency

Cons

Setup costs, need to drive own traffic, payment processing fees

Best For

Established restaurants with loyal customers

Custom solution

WooCommerce, bespoke development

Pros

Complete control, exactly what you need, no ongoing fees to platforms

Cons

Higher upfront cost, requires maintenance, longer development time

Best For

High-volume operations, chains, unique requirements

Hybrid approach

Platforms + own website ordering

Pros

Best of both worlds, risk diversification, captures different customer types

Cons

More systems to manage, need to track multiple channels

Best For

Most restaurants - platform for discovery, website for loyalty

The Commission Question

Delivery platforms charge 15-35% commission on every order. On a £30 order, that's £4.50-£10.50 going to the platform. If you do significant delivery volume, investing in your own ordering system can pay for itself within months. However, don't underestimate the marketing value platforms provide - they're how many customers discover new restaurants.

Visual Appeal

Food photography tips for your website

Great photos can make the difference between a booking and a bounce. Here's how to get images that do your food justice.

Hire a professional

A food photography session typically costs £200-500 for a half-day. The return on investment is significant - great photos directly increase bookings and orders.

Use natural light

Natural daylight creates the most appetising food photos. Schedule shoots for mid-morning or early afternoon near windows.

Style dishes carefully

Use fresh ingredients, add garnishes, wipe plate edges. What looks good in person may not photograph well - make everything pristine.

Capture the atmosphere

Don't just photograph food. Show your interior, staff, and customers (with permission). People want to see what the experience is like.

Multiple angles

Photograph signature dishes from several angles. Overhead shots work for flat dishes, 45-degree angles for plated dishes with height.

Update seasonally

When you change your menu, update your photos. Outdated images lead to disappointed customers.

Optimise for web

Compress images for fast loading (under 200KB per image) while maintaining quality. Slow sites lose mobile customers.

Consider video

Short videos of cooking, plating, or atmosphere can be powerful on social media and your website hero section.

Avoid Stock Photos

Customers can spot stock photography instantly, and it destroys trust. A genuine, slightly imperfect photo of your actual dish is infinitely better than a perfect stock image of food you don't serve. Invest in real photography - it's one of the best returns on investment for any restaurant.

Getting Found

SEO for restaurant websites

How to ensure hungry customers find your restaurant when they search online. Local SEO is critical for hospitality businesses.

Google Business Profile

Critical

Claim, verify, and fully complete your GBP. Add photos weekly, respond to all reviews, keep hours updated.

Local keywords

Critical

Use location-specific terms naturally: 'Italian restaurant Cardiff', 'best pizza Newport', 'fine dining Swansea'.

Mobile optimisation

Critical

Fast loading, easy navigation, clickable phone number, clear menu display on all devices.

Schema markup

High

Add Restaurant schema with address, hours, cuisine type, price range, and menu link.

Review management

High

Encourage Google reviews from happy customers. Respond professionally to all reviews within 24 hours.

Local directories

Medium

List on TripAdvisor, Yelp, FreeIndex, local tourism sites. Ensure NAP consistency.

Content creation

Medium

Blog about local food events, seasonal menus, chef features, ingredient sourcing stories.

Social signals

Medium

Active Instagram and Facebook with regular posts. Link to website from all profiles.

Key insight: For restaurants, Google Business Profile is often more important than your website for local searches. Invest time in optimising it - add photos weekly, respond to every review, and keep information accurate.

Budget Planning

Restaurant website costs in the UK

What to expect when budgeting for a restaurant website. Prices vary based on features and complexity.

Basic Restaurant Site

Typical timeline: 1-2 weeks

£500 - £1,500

Typically includes: Menu, location, hours, gallery, contact form, mobile-responsive design

Suitable for: Small cafes, takeaways, new businesses testing the water

Professional Restaurant Site

Typical timeline: 3-4 weeks

£1,500 - £3,000

Typically includes: Above plus online reservations, blog, SEO optimisation, professional photography integration

Suitable for: Established restaurants, gastropubs, bistros

Site with Online Ordering

Typical timeline: 4-6 weeks

£2,500 - £5,000

Typically includes: Above plus integrated ordering system, payment processing, order management

Suitable for: Restaurants doing significant takeaway/delivery, avoiding platform fees

Premium/Enterprise

Typical timeline: 6-12 weeks

£5,000+

Typically includes: Custom functionality, loyalty programmes, gift cards, multi-location, advanced analytics

Suitable for: Restaurant groups, chains, high-volume operations

Ongoing Costs to Budget For

£50-300

per year for hosting

£10-30

per year for domain

£50-200

per month for maintenance

Get an instant estimate for your restaurant website project.

Use our cost calculator

Mobile-First

Mobile optimisation for restaurant websites

With 70%+ of restaurant searches happening on mobile, this isn't optional. Here's what mobile-first means for restaurants.

Loading speed

Hungry customers won't wait. 53% of mobile visitors abandon sites taking over 3 seconds to load.

Solution: Optimise images, use fast hosting, minimise code bloat. Test regularly with Google PageSpeed.

Menu readability

Your menu is why they're on your site. If they can't read it easily, they'll find somewhere else.

Solution: HTML menus that reflow for mobile, readable fonts, clear category organisation.

Click-to-call

76% of local mobile searches result in a phone call within 24 hours.

Solution: Phone number in header, always visible, tappable to call directly.

Easy directions

People finding you on mobile often need directions right now.

Solution: Prominent address with one-tap Google Maps integration.

Quick reservations

Reduce friction in the booking process. Every extra tap loses potential customers.

Solution: Simple booking form or integration with ResDiary/OpenTable, minimal required fields.

Thumb-friendly design

Most mobile users browse one-handed. Buttons must be easy to tap.

Solution: Large touch targets (minimum 44px), important actions within thumb reach.

Test on Real Devices

Don't just check your site on your own phone. Test on different devices, different network speeds, and in different scenarios. Have someone try to book a table while walking down the street with patchy signal. That's the real test.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about restaurant websites

Answers to common questions about restaurant website design, costs, and features.

How much does a restaurant website cost in the UK?

Restaurant website costs in the UK typically range from £500-£5,000+ depending on complexity. A basic brochure site with menu and contact details costs £500-£1,500. Sites with online ordering integration cost £1,500-£3,000. Fully custom solutions with table reservations, gift cards, and loyalty programmes can exceed £5,000. Ongoing costs include hosting (£50-300/year) and maintenance (£50-200/month).

What features does a restaurant website need?

Essential restaurant website features include: clear menu display with prices, location and opening hours, contact information and directions, mobile-responsive design, high-quality food photography, online reservation or booking system, links to delivery platforms (Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats), social media integration, and Google Maps embed. Optional features include online ordering, gift vouchers, and loyalty programmes.

Should my restaurant have online ordering on the website?

Having online ordering on your own website is increasingly important. While platforms like Deliveroo and Just Eat provide exposure, they charge 15-35% commission on every order. Your own ordering system has upfront costs but saves money long-term. Many restaurants use a hybrid approach: third-party apps for discovery and their own website for repeat customers with incentives like loyalty points or exclusive offers.

How do I get good photos for my restaurant website?

For restaurant website photography: hire a professional food photographer (typically £200-500 for a half-day shoot), photograph during golden hour for ambient shots, use natural lighting where possible, style dishes carefully with fresh ingredients, capture the atmosphere and interior, take photos of staff and customers (with permission), and shoot your signature dishes from multiple angles. Update photos seasonally when menus change.

How can my restaurant rank higher on Google?

Improve your restaurant's Google ranking by: claiming and optimising your Google Business Profile with accurate details, encouraging customer reviews and responding to them, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly (critical for restaurants), using local SEO keywords like 'Italian restaurant Cardiff', adding schema markup for restaurants, creating a blog with local food content, getting listed in local directories, and ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across all platforms.

Do I need a mobile app for my restaurant?

Most restaurants don't need a dedicated mobile app - a mobile-optimised website is usually sufficient and more cost-effective. Apps cost £5,000-50,000+ to develop and maintain. However, if you're a chain with multiple locations, have a substantial loyalty programme, or want push notifications for regular customers, an app may be worthwhile. For most independent restaurants, a fast, mobile-friendly website with easy ordering is better value.

How important is mobile optimisation for restaurant websites?

Mobile optimisation is absolutely critical for restaurants. Over 70% of restaurant searches happen on mobile devices, often by people looking for somewhere to eat right now. Your site must load quickly (under 3 seconds), have tap-friendly buttons, display menus clearly without zooming, show your phone number as a clickable link, and integrate with maps for easy directions. A poor mobile experience directly costs you customers.

Should I display my full menu with prices online?

Yes, display your full menu with current prices online. Customers increasingly research restaurants online before visiting, and hidden prices create friction and distrust. Clear pricing helps customers decide if your restaurant fits their budget. Use PDF menus as a backup but ensure the primary menu is in HTML format for SEO and accessibility. Update your online menu promptly when prices or dishes change.

What online reservation systems work best for UK restaurants?

Popular UK restaurant reservation systems include: ResDiary (from £79/month, widely used in UK), OpenTable (commission-based, good exposure), TheFork (formerly LaFourchette), and Resy. For smaller restaurants, simpler options like Formitable or even a well-designed contact form can work. Choose based on your volume, budget, and whether you want the marketing benefits of being listed on the platform's discovery network.

How often should I update my restaurant website?

Update your restaurant website whenever menus, prices, or hours change - outdated information frustrates customers. Add seasonal menus promptly, update photos annually at minimum, post news about events or special offers regularly (weekly-monthly), refresh the design every 2-3 years, and keep your blog active if you have one. Regular updates also help with SEO as Google favours fresh content.

Need a website for your restaurant?

Web Cardiff creates professional websites for restaurants, cafes, and food businesses across Wales. Fast-loading, mobile-optimised sites that make your food look irresistible and make booking easy. Let's discuss your project.

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