10 Apps For Last-Minute Restaurant Bookings

Ah, Valentine’s Day: the day where you truly appreciate the love that you have for your partner, realising just how lucky you are to have found – to adopt Friends parlance – your lobster.

But hold on: you did book the restaurant for the special day, right? You were meant to do this very important task a couple of weeks ago; no doubt you’ve put hours and hours of thought and preparation into picking the perfect place to have a romantic, candlelit dinner for two. What? You mean you haven’t done it? How could you?!

Pause. Let’s not let this scenario actually unfold in real life: if you’ve yet to secure that all-important place for you and your loved one at your favourite spot this Valentine’s Day, then breathe easy: we here at TechWeekEurope have got you covered. Here are 10 apps that will go some way to solving this particular quandary. You’re welcome.

1. TablePouncer

Looking for a table at one of the top restaurants in your city? TablePouncer will help you secure it, even if it is last-minute. Offering savings of up to 65 percent, this app provides a list of restaurants near you that are participating in deals that are exclusive to TablePouncer. Available to use whilst at home or on the go, this app could end your booking woes within ten seconds – and it’s readily expanding every month into new cities across the UK.

2. YPlan

“What are you up tonight?” asks YPlan. Well, by downloading this app, there’s a wealth of possibilities in London, Edinburgh, New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas (more cities are apparently on the way) for you to explore at your fingertips. As well as listing a whole array of events and happenings that are going on in these humming spots of metropolitan living every night of the week, YPlan also lets you plan and that all-important romantic meal for two just when you need to. Famous fans of the app include Pharrell and Stephen Fry, so you just know that that means it’s a good ‘un.

3. OpenTable UK

Offering bookings at more than 4,000 restaurants across the UK, OpenTable keeps it simple yet effective: choose a date, time and party size to see available tables near you or wherever you’re headed in real time. Then simply select the table that you want and it’s yours. Easy, right? With further filters in place to help you narrow down your search, this handy app could very well save the day when you’re in dire social straits.

4. CityHawk

This London-specific app chooses the best restaurants so you don’t have to. Immediately displaying eight choices close to your location whenever you open up the app, CityHawk filters its decisions by listing places that you’ll be guaranteed to get a booking at, even if it is last-minute. With more than 800 London restaurants listed, it saves you the hassle of looking either online or on foot for somewhere to dine, and is awash with hidden gems that you never even knew existed. If you’re a Londoner, then CityHawk is surely a must.

5. Quandoo

An easily-accessible and free app that prides itself on promoting the best restaurants in your local area and providing the platform for you to then book a table at such an establishment – sounds ideal, right? Quandoo has more than 10,000 restaurants in its database, ensuring that you have ample choice, even if it’s last-minute. Offering a choice in cuisines and previews of menus, special offers and photos, it’s a fine app to have on your person.

6. TripAdvisor

The renowned travel and leisure website’s app also has the capability to search for the best restaurants in your vicinity. Based on its trusty user reviews-based server, explore restaurants by food type, price range, and rating, whilst you can narrow it down further to a specific location by using the ‘Near Me Now’ button. Booking options are available once you’ve made your choice, making it an excellent dining companion.

7. Ice App

Made by YANELEX – a shiny company with more than 12 years’ worth of experience in the leisure and entertainment industry – the free Ice App permits the organisation of every aspect of your night out. Ideal for spontaneous or last-minute evenings out, while restaurants aren’t specifically featured, it does enable you to browse and book at a vast number of exclusive bars, pubs, and nightclubs all across the world. A potentially wilder alternative to your romantic deal, perhaps.

8. Bookatable

Listing tens of thousands of restaurants across the UK and Europe, Bookatable is a very quick and efficient way to find and book a table at the ideal place. Displaying everything from Michelin Star restaurants to popular high-street chains, you can use its slick and navigable restaurant finder to cycle through the choices and also explore the latest deals in places that are nearby to your ideal location.

9. Velocity

Quite a niche choice at present, given that it’s only available to use at one restaurant in London (Nozomi in Knightsbridge). But the way that Velocity operates may very well be the first in a revolutionary wave that revamps the very premise of online booking. Velocity allows you to discover a top-class restaurant, reserve a table, and pay – all within the app. Your bill will update in real time, which you can then easily split with your companions if required (handy tip: not an ideal tactic to adopt on a romantic date). With loyalty rewards also available, this may be an app that’s worth keeping a keen eye on in the months to come if you’re into convenient exclusivity.

10. Yell

Another already-familiar name, the Yell app is a very trustworthy source for you to locate and secure that precious last-minute restaurant booking. Evoking the nostalgia of that massive yellow book that your parents used to spend hours poring over, this quick and speedy search service connects you with thousands of restaurants across the UK, listing contact details and user reviews to help you make the right decision.

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