Online bookings are now essential. We review the platforms that work best for restaurants in Spain.
Online bookings have become a fundamental channel for restaurants. According to industry data, more than 60% of diners in Spain prefer to book online rather than phone, and that figure keeps growing.
But not all reservation platforms are the same: some charge per diner, others a flat fee, and commission models can mean that what looks free ends up costing hundreds of euros a month. On top of that, the value of each platform depends heavily on how visible it is in your area.
In this comparison we review the 6 most relevant platforms for restaurants in Spain. An important note: Zindra includes its own table bookings — a public link for your customers to book, availability by time slot based on your opening hours and capacity, email confirmation and reminder, and the booking linked to the table when guests arrive — with no per-diner commission, but it does not give you the shop window these platforms offer: it will not bring you new customers who were not already looking for you. Many restaurants combine both: one of these platforms to attract diners and Zindra to run the dining room, inventory, purchasing and staff.
TheFork (known as ElTenedor in Spain) is the undisputed leading reservation platform in Spain and much of Europe. Owned by Tripadvisor, it offers huge visibility plus tools for managing bookings, offers and a loyalty programme. It is practically a must for restaurants in Spain.
CoverManager is a Spanish booking management platform that has grown a lot in recent years. Its flat-fee model (no per-diner commission) and no-show prevention tools make it a very attractive alternative to TheFork, especially for restaurants with a high volume of bookings.
OpenTable is the world’s largest reservation platform, dominant in the US and with a growing presence in Europe. It offers a diner marketplace, table management tools and a built-in CRM. Its presence in Spain is smaller than TheFork’s but significant among premium restaurants.
Restoo is a Spanish reservation and restaurant management platform that offers a diner marketplace alongside management tools. What sets it apart is combining bookings with reviews and food content, building a community around the restaurant.
Resy, owned by American Express, is the fashionable reservation platform in the premium and gastronomic segment. Its positioning is clear: high-end restaurants with waiting lists. Its presence in Spain is still in its early days but growing in the big cities.
Google Reserve lets diners book a table directly from Google Search and Google Maps without leaving the platform. It works through integrated partners (TheFork, CoverManager, etc.) and is more a distribution channel than a management platform in its own right.
For restaurants in Spain, TheFork (ElTenedor) remains practically essential because of its user volume. If commissions worry you because you take a lot of bookings, CoverManager offers a very attractive flat-fee alternative. For premium restaurants with an international clientele, OpenTable or Resy position your brand at the top end. And Google Reserve is a channel you should switch on whatever your main platform is. Remember that these platforms handle bookings, not your restaurant’s back office — for inventory, purchasing, staff and costs, pair them with management software such as Zindra.
Dig deeper into the key concepts behind this comparison.
Answers to the most common questions about this category.
Yes, it is advisable to be present on several channels. Most restaurants use TheFork as their main channel and add CoverManager or another system for direct bookings from their own website (commission-free). Google Reserve should always be switched on as an extra channel. What matters is that all bookings are centralised in a single management tool to avoid overbooking.
The best strategies are: SMS/email confirmation 24 hours beforehand (most platforms offer this), asking for a credit card as a guarantee for large bookings, introducing partial prepayment on special dates, and keeping an active waiting list. CoverManager and Resy offer particularly strong no-show prevention tools.
Yes, but it takes effort. You can install a booking widget on your own website (CoverManager, Restoo) for a flat fee, or switch on Google Reserve through a partner. Bookings that come in directly through your website carry no per-diner commission on most platforms. The key is driving traffic to your own website through Google Business Profile, Instagram and social media.
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