Complete booking policy templates
Choose the template closest to what you need, copy it and replace the bracketed details. Remove anything that does not apply to your restaurant. Do not publish rules that your restaurant does not actually follow.
These are practical starting points, not legal advice. Make sure your terms reflect your actual restaurant, payment setup and local requirements.
01 / Simple booking policy
Your reservation is for the date, time and number of guests shown in your confirmation. Please check these details and contact us if anything is incorrect.
To change or cancel your reservation, use [online change/cancellation route] or contact us on [restaurant phone] or at [restaurant email]. If the online option is unavailable, please contact us directly.
We hold your table for [15 minutes] after your reservation time. Please call [restaurant phone] if you are running late. After this time, we may release the table if we have not heard from you.
Please contact us before changing the number of guests, including children and babies. Extra places are subject to availability; let us know about reductions as soon as possible.
Seating requests: [specific seating wording, including indoor/outdoor preferences and what can be guaranteed].
Children and high chairs: [children wording, including whether babies count towards the guest total, high-chair arrangements and any age restrictions].
Pets: [pet wording, including any differences between indoor and terrace seating].
Accessibility: [booking-relevant access information]. Please contact us before booking to discuss any specific access requirements.
Dress code: [dress code].
For reservation questions, please call [restaurant phone] or email [restaurant email]. If you are delayed on the day, please call us.
02 / Policy with cancellation deadline
Your reservation is for the date, time and number of guests shown in your confirmation. Please check these details and contact us if anything is incorrect.
Please change or cancel at least [24 hours] before your reservation using [online change/cancellation route]. Once online cancellation closes, call [restaurant phone] or email [restaurant email].
If you need to cancel or change your booking after this deadline, please contact us as soon as possible so we can discuss the available options. This policy does not introduce a cancellation or no-show fee.
We hold your table for [15 minutes] after your reservation time. Please call [restaurant phone] if you are running late. After this time, we may release the table if we have not heard from you.
Please contact us before changing the number of guests, including children and babies. Extra places are subject to availability; let us know about reductions as soon as possible.
Dining time: [table duration and the services it applies to].
Seating requests: [specific seating wording, including indoor/outdoor preferences and what can be guaranteed].
Children and high chairs: [children wording, including whether babies count towards the guest total, high-chair arrangements and any age restrictions].
Pets: [pet wording, including any differences between indoor and terrace seating].
Accessibility: [booking-relevant access information]. Please contact us before booking to discuss any specific access requirements.
Dress code: [dress code].
For reservation questions, please call [restaurant phone] or email [restaurant email]. If you are delayed on the day, please call us.
03 / Policy with deposit
Your reservation is for the date, time and number of guests shown in your confirmation. Please check these details and contact us if anything is incorrect.
A deposit of [€20 per guest] is required for [affected reservations]. This is a payment taken in advance, collected [when and how payment is taken] and applied to [what the deposit covers or how it is credited to your bill].
Please change or cancel at least [24 hours] before your reservation using [online change/cancellation route]. Once online cancellation closes, call [restaurant phone] or email [restaurant email].
For cancellation at least [24 hours] before the reservation, the deposit is [refund terms for timely cancellation]. For later cancellation, the deposit is [refund or retention terms for late cancellation]. If you do not attend, the deposit is [no-show treatment].
Refund conditions: [refund terms, including any exceptions and how an eligible refund is arranged]. Please contact [restaurant phone] or [restaurant email] about a refund. Cancelling a reservation does not itself confirm that a refund has been processed.
For changes in party size, please contact us by [party-size change deadline]. Increases are subject to availability. For reductions, the deposit is [how reductions affect the amount paid and any refund].
We hold your table for [15 minutes] after your reservation time. Please call [restaurant phone] if you are running late. After this time, we may release the table if we have not heard from you.
Dining time: [table duration and the services it applies to].
Seating requests: [specific seating wording, including indoor/outdoor preferences and what can be guaranteed].
Children and high chairs: [children wording, including whether babies count towards the guest total, high-chair arrangements and any age restrictions].
Pets: [pet wording, including any differences between indoor and terrace seating].
Accessibility: [booking-relevant access information]. Please contact us before booking to discuss any specific access requirements.
Dress code: [dress code].
For reservation questions, please call [restaurant phone] or email [restaurant email]. If you are delayed on the day, please call us.
04 / Policy with card guarantee / no-show fee
Your reservation is for the date, time and number of guests shown in your confirmation. Please check these details and contact us if anything is incorrect.
A card guarantee is required for [affected reservations]. We ask for card details to secure these bookings. This is not a deposit, and providing your card details does not mean that the potential fee has already been charged.
Please change or cancel at least [24 hours] before your reservation using [online change/cancellation route]. Once online cancellation closes, call [restaurant phone] or email [restaurant email].
A charge of [€20 per guest or amount per reservation] may apply if [exact late-cancellation conditions] or if [exact no-show conditions]. Cancellation before [24 hours] is [conditions under which no fee applies]. These terms apply only to [affected reservations].
Please contact us by [party-size change deadline] for increases or reductions. Extra places are subject to availability. For fewer guests, the guarantee or potential fee is [party-size reduction terms].
If you believe a charge was made in error, contact [restaurant email] or [restaurant phone] so we can review it.
We hold your table for [15 minutes] after your reservation time. Please call [restaurant phone] if you are running late. After this time, we may release the table if we have not heard from you.
Dining time: [table duration and the services it applies to].
Seating requests: [specific seating wording, including indoor/outdoor preferences and what can be guaranteed].
Children and high chairs: [children wording, including whether babies count towards the guest total, high-chair arrangements and any age restrictions].
Pets: [pet wording, including any differences between indoor and terrace seating].
Accessibility: [booking-relevant access information]. Please contact us before booking to discuss any specific access requirements.
Dress code: [dress code].
For reservation questions, please call [restaurant phone] or email [restaurant email]. If you are delayed on the day, please call us.
05 / Group / event / special-menu policy
These special conditions apply only to [event name, date, service or affected reservation], including groups of [group threshold] or more. Other bookings follow our standard booking policy.
Your reservation is for the date, time and number of guests shown in your confirmation. Please check these details and contact us if anything is incorrect.
Please nominate one organiser and give us their name, phone number and email. The organiser should contact [restaurant phone] or [restaurant email] with all booking changes.
Confirm your final headcount by [headcount deadline, date and time]. Extra places are subject to availability. For reductions after this deadline, [party-size reduction conditions and any payment consequences].
Menu and pre-orders: [fixed-menu details, price and what is included]. Please send [pre-order requirements] by [pre-order deadline] and tell us about dietary requirements at the same time so we can discuss what is possible.
To change or cancel, use [online change/cancellation route] at least [cancellation deadline] before the reservation. After online cancellation closes, contact [restaurant phone] or [restaurant email]. Late cancellation is subject to [specific event cancellation conditions].
Advance payment, where applicable: a deposit or prepayment of [amount] is taken [when] for [affected bookings] and applied to [what it covers or how it is credited]. For timely cancellation, [refund conditions]; for late cancellation or non-attendance, [retention/refund conditions]. Contact us at [restaurant email] to discuss a refund; cancellation does not itself confirm a refund has been processed.
Card guarantee, where applicable: [affected bookings] require card details for a possible charge of [amount]. This is separate from advance payment and does not mean a fee has already been charged. A charge may apply only [exact late-cancellation, no-show or headcount-reduction conditions].
We hold your table for [15 minutes] after your reservation time. Please call [restaurant phone] if you are running late. After this time, we may release the table if we have not heard from you.
Your table is reserved for [dining duration] from [start time]. Please let the organiser know if you are delayed.
Seating requests: [specific seating wording, including indoor/outdoor preferences and what can be guaranteed].
Children and high chairs: [children wording, including whether babies count towards the guest total, high-chair arrangements and any age restrictions].
Pets: [pet wording, including any differences between indoor and terrace seating].
Accessibility: [booking-relevant access information]. Please contact us before booking to discuss any specific access requirements.
Dress code: [dress code].
For reservation questions, please call [restaurant phone] or email [restaurant email]. If you are delayed on the day, please call us.