A tasting menu restaurant's website should tell a guest exactly what the evening is before they book: the price per person, how long the meal lasts, how many courses, the wine pairing price, the number of seats and the sitting times. Then it should state the booking policy clearly, including any deposit, cancellation terms and how dietary requirements are handled. With one menu and few seats, every no-show costs the kitchen, so the policy matters as much as the photos.
Guests searching for tasting menus often add "with prices" to the search. They want the cost of the evening before they commit to it. A chef's counter or small fine-dining room that hides the price behind a booking widget loses those guests.
What does a guest need to know before booking a tasting menu?
For a set menu with one or two sittings, the questions are specific:
| Question | What to show |
|---|
| What does it cost? | Price per person, wine pairing price, any non-alcoholic pairing, whether service is included |
| How long is it? | Length of the evening and the sitting times |
| What will I eat? | The current menu, course by course, or a sample with a note that it changes |
| How many seats? | The size of the room or counter |
| Can you cater for me? | Dietary requirements you can and cannot accommodate |
| What is the policy? | Deposit, cancellation window, late arrival, group size |
Put the price, length and seats near the top of the home page. Those three numbers do more to qualify bookings than any description.
How should you show the menu when it changes?
Many tasting menus change with the seasons or week to week. Publish the current menu as text, course by course, with the date it applies from. If it changes too often, publish a recent example and say so. A text menu reads well on a phone and can be indexed by search engines, unlike a photo or PDF. See why a restaurant menu should not be a PDF.
Should a tasting menu restaurant take deposits?
Many small restaurants take a deposit or full prepayment for set menus, because a missed booking with few seats is a real loss. Reports of no-shows are common. A UK survey reported on X in October 2026 claimed more than half of Gen Z diners admitted booking a table and not turning up in the past year (the survey's source should be checked before you quote it).
If you take deposits, state on the website:
- How much, and whether it is per person or per booking
- Whether it is deducted from the bill
- The cancellation window, and what happens if a guest cancels inside it
- What happens if a guest is late
- How to change the number of guests
Rules on deposits, cancellation fees and refunds vary by country, so check what applies to you before you set the policy. Write it in plain words and show it before payment, not only in the confirmation email.
How should dietary requirements be handled?
With one menu, dietary needs are hard to change at the last minute. Say clearly which requirements you can accommodate, which you cannot, and how much notice you need. Ask for dietary requirements in the booking form, not on the night.
What booking setup works for one or two sittings?
Most restaurants use a reservation system that handles availability, deposits and reminders. Link to it or embed it, and keep the policy text on your own site so guests read it before they reach the booking step. If you take bookings by request, use a form that asks for the date, number of guests, sitting, dietary requirements and phone number, and say how quickly you confirm.
What else belongs on the site?
- The chef, with a short, factual background
- The room, with photos taken in the light guests will see
- Press, quoting only what was actually written, with the publication and date
- Private hire, if you offer the whole counter for groups
- Gift vouchers, which suit a set-price evening well (see how to sell gift vouchers)
Which template suits a chef's counter?
Tallow ($49) is a Framer template for a small chef's counter: one menu, one sitting, a handful of seats. It opens on the room by candlelight and three lines that say exactly what the evening is. Then the menu course by course, the counter with the numbers a guest needs (seats, sitting time, the tasting price and the wine pairing), the chef, what the press wrote and a reservation form. It includes a full menu page, a reservation page with the booking policy, a private hire page and a branded 404, a real phone menu and a setup guide page. One licence covers unlimited sites.
For a larger restaurant with an à la carte menu and private dining, Late August (free) has 14 pages including menu, reservations and private dining. Its reservation form ships in demo mode, so connect it before going live. See the best Framer templates for restaurants and our guide to private dining pages.
Frequently asked questions
Should a tasting menu restaurant show its price online?
Yes. Guests choosing a set menu want the price per person, the pairing price and what is included before they book. Showing it reduces enquiries from guests who would not book and builds trust with those who will.
How do restaurants reduce no-shows?
Common approaches include deposits or prepayment for set menus, reminder messages before the booking and a clear cancellation policy shown before payment. Check local consumer rules on deposits and fees before setting yours.
Where should the booking policy go on the website?
On the reservation page, before the booking step, and summarised near the booking button. Guests should see the deposit and cancellation terms before they pay, not only afterwards.
Should I publish the full tasting menu if it changes often?
Publish the current menu as text with the date it applies from, or a recent example marked as such. Guests want to see the style of cooking and the number of courses.
How should a small restaurant handle dietary requirements online?
State what you can and cannot accommodate, how much notice you need, and ask for requirements in the booking form so the kitchen can plan.