What should a restaurant website have beyond the menu?

A restaurant website needs five things besides a menu PDF: a menu that's readable as a page, clear allergen information, your hygiene rating, accurate opening times, and an easy way to book and find you. Get those right and a hungry stranger can choose you and sit down without ringing round.

So here's the thing. People don't visit your site to admire a document. They want to know three things fast: what's the food like, can I eat here safely, and how do I get a table. A menu PDF answers the first, badly, and ignores the rest.

Think of your site as a handful of pages doing different jobs. A menu page. An allergen note. Somewhere for the hygiene rating. A page for hours, booking and directions. That's it. If you want the fuller list, there's a rundown of pages a restaurant's website should have, and it's worth a skim.

None of this needs to be fancy. It needs to be there, and it needs to be accurate.

Here's the practical bit. A menu that's a picture or a download isn't text on your page, so it gives search engines and visitors little to read. Text on the page does.

So put the dishes on the page itself. Headings for starters and mains, a line of description under each dish, prices alongside. Plain text, nothing clever. You can still offer the PDF as a print-friendly extra (fair enough, some people like it), but it shouldn't be the only version.

Photos help, with a condition. Google's SEO starter guide says to place sharp, clear images near relevant text. And Google works out what an image shows from the content of the page around it, so a photo of a dish with a caption does more than a bare image. "Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with roast carrots" beats "IMG_4471".

The same goes for links. Descriptive link text tells users and Google what the linked page is about. "See our Sunday lunch menu" works. "Click here" doesn't. If you want more on being found, there's a short guide to getting found on Google.

This one isn't optional. The Food Standards Agency allergen guidance (gov.uk, updated 17 July 2026) says businesses must supply allergen information for every item that contains any of the 14 allergens, for non-prepacked food.

You've got two routes. Give it in writing, such as on a menu or chalkboard. Or give it verbally, with a visible notice explaining how customers can get it. The guidance says which works better: "written allergen information, supported by a conversation, works best for consumers."

So on your website, I'd put it in writing, next to the dishes, and add a line inviting people to talk to staff. Written plus a conversation. That's the combination the guidance points to.

Online or remote ordering has its own rule. Allergen information must be given before the order is completed, and again when the food is delivered. Before purchase, that can be in writing on a website, catalogue or menu, or orally by phone. If you take orders through your site, the allergen details have to be available before the order is completed. Not buried. Not "ask us later".

And to be fair, it's also just good manners. Someone with an allergy is choosing whether to trust you with their dinner.

The rules differ depending on where you are, so check which applies to you.

Under the food hygiene rating scheme (gov.uk, updated 30 June 2026), displaying the rating sticker is voluntary in England. In Wales, businesses are legally required to display ratings in a prominent place. In Northern Ireland, you must display at or near each customer entrance.

Even where it's voluntary, a good rating is worth showing. It's a quick trust signal for someone who's never eaten with you. Put the sticker image on your site, or a line saying what your rating is and where to check it.

One catch. Ratings can be found online and on stickers, and local authorities upload ratings at least every 28 days. So there may be temporary differences between the rating displayed and the online rating. If you've just been re-inspected, your sticker might say one thing while the official listing still says another. Don't panic; it usually sorts itself out. But if you quote a rating on your site, update it when a new one lands, so the two don't drift apart for long.

This is where bookings are won or lost. Someone's standing in the street with a phone. They want hours, a way to book, and directions. Quickly.

Put your address, regular hours and phone number on a page of their own, and repeat the essentials in the footer. Then put a booking button where people can't miss it. Not three clicks deep.

Google's Business Profile guidelines say to provide regular customer-facing hours and an accurate address. Business Profile help says to keep hours, including special hours, up to date. Complete and accurate information is more likely to show up in local search results. More likely. Not guaranteed, and I won't pretend otherwise.

Special hours matter more than you'd think. Bank holidays, a private event, a closed Monday after a busy weekend. Change them in both places, your site and your profile, so they match.

If you've already tidied up your business listing, you'll recognise this. Same checklist, same logic: name, address, hours, booking link, photos, all matching your website.

1. Move your menu onto a web page as plain text, with a short description and price for each dish.
2. Add a caption to each dish photo, and swap any "click here" links for descriptive ones.
3. Write your allergen information next to the dishes, with a line inviting guests to speak to staff.
4. Check which hygiene rating rules apply where you trade, then show your rating and keep it current.
5. Update your opening times, including special hours, on your site and your Business Profile, and put a booking button above the fold.

Five jobs. One week. Your menu PDF can stay; it just doesn't have to do all the work any more.