Written for the person who pressed “book”

A reservation is a trade the restaurant performs first

The slot, the party size, the dining time and the cancellation terms on the booking page are the restaurant's conditions; pressing “book” accepts them, and the agreement starts there. From that moment the restaurant performs first: the table is held, ingredients are bought, staff are scheduled. Your side of it comes much later — turn up on time, and when you can't, say so early. This page sets out what each side of that sequence carries.

They go first, you arrive second

A restaurant doesn't start working when you sit down. Once your booking goes through, this is already happening:
  • The table is held: that table, in that slot, is no longer sold to anyone else.
  • Ingredients are bought and prepped against the number of covers booked.
  • Staff are scheduled against the headcount they expect.
  • In a full slot there's one more: other guests asking for the same time are turned away.

One change of mind, three parties paying

A late cancellation, a late arrival or a last-minute change in party size isn't absorbed by the restaurant alone. The cost splits three ways:
  • The restaurant

    Food and labour were spent before you were due to arrive. Once the slot passes, if nobody else takes the table, the revenue for that time is zero — while the costs stand.

  • The guest who couldn't book

    That seat was held for someone who didn't come. In a slot that was full, it means somebody was turned away who would have shown up.

  • The guests who arrived on time

    Where the kitchen paces courses by slot, a late table pushes into the next one, and every table behind it waits. A last-minute change in party size does the same: prep and seating have to be redone, and the strain lands on service.

Someone pays the loss, and usually it's the people who keep their word

A single no-show can't be recovered, so restaurants protect themselves in advance. Every one of those defences works, and every one is paid for by someone — rarely the person who broke the booking:
Only take guests they know (regulars, referrals)
New guests pay: with nobody to vouch for you, you can't get a table.
Make not-coming cost something (card holds, deposits)
Guests who do keep their word pay, by fronting money first.
Price the loss in (service charge, higher prices)
Everyone pays, including people who have never missed a booking.
Stop taking the risk (no reservations, walk-in only)
Anyone who has to plan ahead pays: families, elderly guests, people travelling in.

Those defences cost something too — chasing deposits, issuing refunds, handling disputes — and that cost ends up in the price of every dish as well.

Just say so, early

There are three things asked of a guest, and each of them is one message:
  1. 1

    Can't come

    Cancel early. The table can still go to someone else, and prep can still be adjusted.

  2. 2

    Running late

    Say so before you're due. The kitchen can re-time your table instead of letting it push into someone else's.

  3. 3

    Party size changed, or special requests

    Check with the restaurant first. Headcount, seating, high chairs, allergies and celebrations all need lead time.

Keeping your word shouldn't cost you anything. Thank you to every guest who does.

Common questions

If I cancel at the last minute, do I have to pay?
It depends on that restaurant's cancellation policy — there is no single national rule. Most don't charge and only ask that you tell them early; the ones taking deposits or card details usually state how far ahead a cancellation is refunded in full and how it's handled after that. Those terms should be visible when you book — if they aren't, ask before you book.
How late can I be before the table is released?
Each restaurant sets its own window, commonly somewhere between fifteen and thirty minutes, and often shorter at tasting-menu or set-course restaurants where the whole room starts together. The point isn't the number of minutes: it's telling them as soon as you know. Told, the kitchen can re-time your table; not told, it sits empty waiting.
Why do some restaurants ask for a deposit or card details?
Because the loss from a single no-show can't be recovered, only made less likely in advance. It shows up most at restaurants with few seats, expensive ingredients, or prep that can't be reused the next day. A deposit isn't a fine; it holds the portion being prepared for you. Guests who keep their word are among the people it costs, because they're the ones fronting the money.
If the party gets smaller, do I still need to tell them?
Yes. Headcount is what prep and seating are built on: six becoming four may mean you were already put on a larger table and six portions were already bought. Said early, both sides still have room to adjust.
The restaurant doesn't take large groups — can I split it into separate bookings?
Better not to. A large-group limit is usually about kitchen pacing or table shapes, not willingness, so splitting the booking doesn't make it possible on the night — your group and the tables behind you simply wait. If you're over the limit, ask about a buyout or another slot instead.

Run a restaurant? This page is for your guests

Nothing is being sold here, and it isn't tied to any system — put the link in your booking confirmation, on your booking page or in your social bio. Explaining the rules at the door is hard; having guests read them once beforehand is easier.

See how to handle no-shows

Send this page to your guests

Copy the link into your booking confirmation or social bio

An agreement is worth both sides taking seriously

Keeping your word shouldn't cost you anything. Thank you to every guest who does.