Best free table booking systems for UK restaurants and pubs (2026)
Which booking systems have a free plan you can keep, what each one really includes, and what you pay when you outgrow it.
Compare the free plansBlog
Notes from behind the bar
Articles on bookings for independent restaurants, pubs and cafes, written by people who run one. The maths is shown, the caveats are stated, and nobody is trying to sell you a marketplace.
Quandoo has closed: where UK restaurants can move next
Marketplaces, full front of house systems or flat priced booking: what each costs, who each suits, and how to choose in ten minutes.
Read the optionsWhat OpenTable's per cover fees really cost a 40 seat restaurant (with the maths)
A worked example of a subscription plus per diner fees for a typical independent, with the assumptions written down so you can swap in your own numbers.
Read the mathsQuandoo has closed: a 30 minute migration plan
New bookings stop on 30 September. Here is the checklist, in order, with how long each step takes and what to do with your existing bookings.
Read the planDeposits vs card holds: which cuts no-shows without scaring off regulars
The two ways to take a card at booking, what each does to your no-show rate and your booking rate, and what we are building into Nabsie.
Read the comparisonGuides
Longer reads
How to take table bookings onlineThe set up, step by step, for 2026
How to reduce no-showsWhat works, in order of effort
Reserve with Google explainedWhat it is and what you can do today
Christmas party bookingsSet it up in October, relax in December
How to take depositsWhen to ask, how much, and the set up
No-show cost calculatorWhat empty tables cost you a year
Add a booking widgetOne line on any website