Written by Marco Ruiz on , revised
Most restaurants depend on TripAdvisor, Google Maps and delivery apps for customers, and on none of them do you set the commissions or decide how your business is shown.
A website of your own, fast, with your current menu, good photos of your dishes and a booking button that works on a phone, is the place where you decide both.
Why TripAdvisor, Google Maps and delivery apps aren't enough
People search Google before going out to eat. "Restaurant Valencia centre", "where to eat in Málaga", "restaurant with terrace Sanlúcar". Without your own website, you depend on Google Maps or TripAdvisor showing you near the top, and that doesn't always happen.
TripAdvisor isn't your website. There you compete with hundreds of restaurants for the same visitor. You don't control the design, you can't highlight your daily menu, and an unfair review can push you down.
Delivery apps take a big slice of every order. Glovo, Uber Eats, Just Eat: depending on the plan, commission is usually around 25 to 35%. For example, with a 30% commission, the platform keeps €4.50 of a €15 menu. Orders for collection or delivery through your own website avoid that platform commission.
Google rewards your own content. A website with your menu, hours, address and real photos helps you in local searches, especially combined with a well-kept Google Business Profile.
What a restaurant website needs
You don't need 50 pages. You need a website that does the important things well:
A current digital menu. It's the first thing customers look for. Easy to read on a phone and easy to update when the daily menu or seasonal dishes change. A PDF that takes ages to load and needs zooming doesn't do that.
Good photos of the food and the place. A dish photographed in natural light says more than a paragraph describing it. If you can, hire a food photographer. If not, use good daylight and a decent phone.
Table bookings. A "Book a table" button that works at any hour. Customers plan Friday's dinner at 11 pm; if they have to call during service, many won't. Online table bookings connected to your website and Google come with the website with online bookings: from €700 one-off, depending on how many sittings and opening hours it needs. Paid monthly, they're part of the All-in-one Pack. If you already use a booking tool, I connect it to your website and Google profile, from €79.
Embedded Google map. The customer has to see where you are and open directions with one tap.
Clear, current opening hours. Closing days, kitchen hours, winter and summer differences.
WhatsApp button. For quick questions, large groups, allergies and events.
Basic local SEO. Your website has to appear when someone searches "restaurant [your area]". That takes relevant content, well-structured titles and a Google Business Profile in sync with your website (the profile is set up in all my packs).
How much does a restaurant website cost?
A restaurant website includes design, development, digital menu, gallery, opening hours, map, WhatsApp button and a mobile layout. My current prices, excluding VAT:
One-off payment, VAT not included
One-page landing
One page with the essentials: what you do, prices, hours, map and a WhatsApp button.
from €249
Website up to 5 sections
Home, services, prices, about and contact. Fast on phones and linked to your Google profile.
from €349
Website with online bookings or appointments
The full website plus a booking or appointment calendar, automatic confirmations and a panel to manage them. The final price depends on services, staff and opening hours.
from €700
Online shop up to 50 products
Catalogue, basket, card payments and an orders panel. More products or integrations are quoted separately.
from €990
Maintenance (optional)
domain, hosting, SSL, backups and technical fixes
from €15/monthor from €150/year
Or paying monthly, VAT not included
Website Pack
Website up to 5 sections, domain, hosting and SSL, Google profile set up, WhatsApp button and map, 1 content change per month.
from €39/month
no setup fee
Website + Google Pack
The Website Pack plus profile management (2 posts a month), replies to every review, review kit with QR code and a monthly report.
from €59/month
no setup fee
All-in-one Pack
All of the above plus a 24/7 WhatsApp assistant in Spanish and English, online bookings or appointments and WhatsApp reminders.
from €99/month
+ €99 setup
12-month minimum term (without it, +€10/month). After that, the website and domain are yours.
Full price list and terms on the prices page (in Spanish).
For most restaurants I start with the one-off website from €349: menu, gallery, hours, map and WhatsApp. With online table bookings, the website with bookings is from €700 one-off. If you want to take orders online, the shop with up to 50 products costs from €990; for anything bigger, I'll give you a fixed quote.
If you'd rather pay monthly, in hospitality the Website + Google Pack from €59/month is the one I recommend most, because reviews carry so much weight. If you have many international customers, the All-in-one Pack adds table bookings, WhatsApp reminders and a 24-hour assistant in Spanish and English. Packs have a 12 months commitment (without commitment, +€10/month) and, once you complete it, the website and domain are yours. All the details are on the pricing page, and what's included is on the restaurant website service page.
Real project: Gastro Bar Casa Ata
One of my clients is Gastro Bar Casa Ata, in Torrox Costa. Its website includes:
- Digital menu with tapas and dishes by category
- Photo gallery of the place and the food
- "Book a table" button that opens WhatsApp
- Google map with the exact location
- WhatsApp and phone for direct questions
- Opening hours visible on the page
- A layout designed for mobile
In August 2026, its Google Business Profile had 3,707 views, 32 calls and 125 requests for directions. Most people found it by searching for the category, not the name:
| What people typed into Google | Searches |
|---|---|
| «restaurantes» | 978 |
| «bares» | 128 |
| «bar» | 63 |
See the Gastro Bar Casa Ata website
Your own website vs TripAdvisor and Google Maps only
| Your own website | TripAdvisor / Google Maps only | |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Your colours, your style | Same template for everyone |
| Menu | Updated whenever you want | Limited to photos or PDFs |
| Direct bookings | No per-booking commission (website with bookings, from €700, or the All-in-one Pack) | Depends on TheFork or phone calls |
| Your domain gains authority over time | You compete with every restaurant in your area on the same platform | |
| Reviews | You can show your Google reviews on your site | The platform controls them |
| Customer data | Yours | The platform's |
| Long-term cost | Fixed: from €349 one-off with optional maintenance from €15/month, or from €39/month | Free, with no control |
Your own website works alongside your Google Maps listing and your TripAdvisor profile, without replacing them.
SEO for restaurants: the searches that matter
The most valuable searches for a restaurant are very local:
- "Restaurant [neighbourhood] [town]"
- "Where to eat in [area]"
- "Restaurant with terrace [area]"
- "Daily menu [area]"
- "Restaurant for groups [town]"
If your website answers those searches (your area, your cuisine, your services), Google has something to show. A Google Maps listing with 3 blurry photos and old hours tends to lose to restaurants with their own website.
Signs your restaurant needs a website
- Customers ask you on WhatsApp what's on the menu
- You don't appear on Google when you search "restaurant [your area]"
- Your only online presence is Google Maps and TripAdvisor
- You depend on delivery apps that take a big cut of every order
- You have no way to announce changes in hours, events or special menus
- People don't know you exist until they walk past the door