Sector content and pathways

Restaurant: menus, opening hours and reservations

A restaurant site is first used to check what is offered, when to come and how to book. The menu, practical information and booking route should tell the same situation, including closing days and seasonal changes.

These files describe preparation methods. They do not present customer achievements and do not replace the validation of information by the organization concerned.

All sectoral files

A readable and dated menu

Publish a textual version of the menu in addition to a possible downloadable document. Organize dishes, drinks and formulas with explicit titles. Assign price validation and dish information to the person who knows them. An archived menu should be identified as old; A photo of slate alone becomes difficult to read and keep up to date.

Availability and booking limits

Explain whether the request reserves a table immediately or awaits confirmation. Distinguish opening days, service hours and bookable slots. For groups, specify the appropriate channel rather than letting an individual form accept any number of people. When the slots are complete, offer a concrete sequence without displaying false availability.

Access and preparation for the visit

Describe the address, entry and practical information that the institution has confirmed. For the accessibility of the premises, give precise characteristics instead of a vague formula. A card completes an access text but does not replace it. The menu and booking languages must remain consistent until confirmation.

Test with a real service situation

Simulate a booking, change, and cancellation on a test environment. Check the recipients and the displayed time zone. Check that the constraints are announced before validation and that a message sent several times does not create confusion. Test the journey on a phone with long text and keyboard.

A coordinated update

When the menu or schedules change, update the page, documents and platforms used by the establishment. Name a replacement person during the holidays. Give a date or period to seasonal offers and remove calls to book as soon as the event is over.

Information to gather before writing

Text menu with date or period
Separate opening hours of opening
Conditions for groups and events
Booking confirmation method
Access and contact details validated

For each item, keep the source, the person validating it and the language versions concerned. Missing information must become a question to solve, never a value invented to fill the page.

Frequently asked questions

Is a PDF enough for the menu?

A text page is easier to view and translate. The PDF can remain a supplement for downloading or printing.

Show all slots?

Show only those that the institution or its tool can actually confirm, with a clear state when the request remains pending.

How to announce an exceptional closure?

Put the information near the schedules and the booking button, then remove it when its period is over.

resources to deepen

Additional reference: W3C Wai: Structure an accessible page. The sectoral recommendations of this sheet are an editorial method; This reference does not certify the information specific to an establishment.

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