Table reservation

A table reservation is an arrangement made in advance to have a table available at a restaurant. While most restaurants in the vast majority of the world do not require a reservation, and some do not have a policy or simply any channel for making one, so-called higher-end restaurants mainly in overcrowded cities often require a reservation, and some may have tables booked for weeks in advance. At particularly exclusive venues, it may be impossible to make a reservation on the same day as the planned visit.

The modern reservation system evolved from the prior practice of arranging catering at a restaurant. Today, at such venues, observes Joy Smith, author of Kitchen Afloat: Galley Management and Meal Preparation (2002): "It's always smart to inquire about a restaurant's reservation policy. Some will only reserve for large parties of six or more".

In recent times, many restaurants have replaced the traditional pencil and notebook with an online reservation system. Some websites exist which provide this service for multiple venues, such as Hostme, Tock, Bookatable, Chope, EZTABLE, Dimmi, Killer Rezzy (which also offers “rogue” reservations, which members can sell), OpenTable, Resy, Appointment Trader (which also allows users to buy reservations that are typically difficult to obtain), Yelp Reservations (formerly known as SeatMe), Shout (which allows users to either make a reservation or put the one they have up for sale), Zomato, ResDiary, Zurvu and Tablein.

Reservations for later dining times may prove problematic, as a restaurant may have a backlog that will require the reservation-holders to wait beyond their stated arrival time. In addition, diners with a late reservation face a higher chance that the restaurant will run out of necessary ingredients for a particularly popular dish.

Most restaurants do not charge a customer who fails to honor their reservations, and courts have tended not to impose substantial penalties on restaurants that fail to honor reservations. Nonetheless, it is generally considered polite to call and cancel a reservation once it is known one will not use it.