How to book a restaurant online: Open Table, The Fork, Dinesuperb

At this time it could seem naive to suggest how to book a restaurant table online: after all, the new anti-Covid measures that have been just implemented in Italy include the closing of all eateries after 6PM of each day throughout the fall of 2020.

However, let’s put it this way: consider this as a useful (hopefully!) go-to post, something you can bookmark and have handy when planning your next vacation to Rome and Italy – and may that happen soon!

Booking a table in another language makes you nervous? You’re not alone!

With that in mind, let’s talk about how anxiety-inducing booking a table in a foreign country can be!

Even when talking to someone who speaks English, accents can differ wildly and misunderstandings can arise, spoiling one’s experience. And don’t get us started on how dishes or names are pronounced… it can be confusing. We get it, we do!

That’s why you will find below some of the services we ourselves use when traveling or recommend to our guests while they’re visiting Rome. While in no way comprehensive, this short list is meant to be just that – short! We’ve selected apps and websites that are widespread in the country and are easy to use. With a caveat (see below!).

A warning: not all restaurants in Rome appear on these services

Choosing to be featured on an app is a conscious choice, and not automatic at all. None of what follows can be compared to the Yellow Pages, nor it’s an online directory of every restaurant in Rome or the Lazio region.

On the contrary, these are private companies, each with their vision and “politics”, and some restaurant owners may not agree with it. That’s why you may find Osterias and Pizzerias on one app but not another.

So we suggest giving a try to all of them and/or not be disappointed if you don’t find the place you were interested in trying on any of these services: this may be their declaration of independence, and booking a table at these “off-the-grid” places probably happens the old school way (ie. phone) or by email. Again, don’t be disappointed… or discouraged!

1. The Fork

Surely the most common website/app to book a table not just in Rome, but worldwide. That’s because it’s part of the TripAdvisor family, which means it pretty much reaches every corner of the globe.

The downside? There’s so much variety on there, it’s easy to have holes in the wall listed alongside tourist traps. That’s why some establishments don’t want to be listed on it to begin with. The Fork does encourage users, though, with special offers and discounts – a good way to discover places that are off the beaten path.

2. Dinesuperb

Not a public website/app per se, Dinesuperb (but it’s really called Superbexperience!) is a Danish reservation system used by a growing number of restaurants in different countries, including Italy. Its customers rely on its services to have a proprietary online booking system on their official website or social media page. The structure of the reservation page will look like this: NAMEOFTHERESTAURANT.dinesuperb.com.

Googling the name of the eatery you would like to try along with “dinesuperb” will always yield results if they opted in to working with them.

3. Open Table

Think of Open Table as The Fork, only owned by a different parent company: it’s Booking.com this time, rather than TripAdvisor. Its features tend to be the same – you even get points that you can convert in free meals, exactly like its competitor.

4. Quandoo

As you Google specific restaurants in Rome, you might have noticed a blue button inviting you to book a table appearing right below their contact details. Quandoo is a service that’s been integrated into Google search results (as well as other search engines’) and is now part of The Fork environment. Most restaurants in Rome have implemented this tool into their booking experience – it’s easy to use and it only needs an email and a phone number to work.

Are there any other booking services available in Rome?

Of course! From Zagat to Yelp, there are many other alternatives. The issue is, there are too many of them, while none of these has their reached a”critical mass” of listings. But if you’re a registered user and you already have them on your device, by all means keep using them: you may very well be pleasantly surprised!