Infoserve Group

How far do you think the Internet can go in helping us decide which restaurant to go to?

A survey carried out last year suggested 62% of us already conduct research on the Internet before booking a restaurant and online reviews are increasingly shaping our decisions. This may come as no surprise, but what about being able to go online to book a table at your favourite restaurant?

Livebookings’ reservation service could transform the way we search for and find restaurants. Although the concept is not a new one, it can only be a matter of time before consumers catch on and real-time restaurant booking becomes the natural next step in a search. Gone would be the days when you can only ring to book at certain times of the day to suit the restaurant in order to check availability.

Some of the restaurants listed on our website, eatsomewhere.co.uk, are already offering this service (see Thai Edge) and it’s not difficult to envisage more and more making the transition to an online system. So will it take off? Surely you only have to look at how popular booking a hotel room or a flight online has become to realise the potential. Soon, our nights out at our favourite eatery will begin with just another simple online experience.