Managing online reviews shouldn’t feel like a second full-time job, but for most operators, it does.
There’s Google, Yelp, OpenTable, Tripadvisor, Facebook—and that’s just the beginning. Each one has different rules, audiences and expectations. You're expected to monitor them all, respond quickly and somehow turn that noise into insights that actually grow your business.
It’s exhausting. And frankly, it’s hard to know which platforms really matter, or where your time is best spent.
This guide breaks it all down. We'll walk you through the most important review sites for restaurants today, who they reach, how they work and why (or if) they're worth your time. More importantly, we'll share smart, scalable ways to get your arms around all of it, from automating responses to generating more reviews where they count most. These are the 12 review sites we will discuss:
- Google Business Profile
- Facebook
- TripAdvisor
- Yelp
- OpenTable
- Zomato
- The Michelin Guide
- The Infatuation
- Foursquare
- Gayot
- Safe Table (Allergy Eats)
- Delivery Apps
Which restaurant review sites to watch and which to skip
The 12 sites below do three different jobs, and only one of those jobs is a weekly task. Sort them by job before you sort them by size.
Eight are written by guests: Google Business Profile, Facebook, Yelp, Tripadvisor, OpenTable, Zomato, Foursquare and the delivery apps. These are the ones with a reply button, and the only ones a weekly routine belongs to.
Two are written by editors. The MICHELIN Guide and The Infatuation have no listing to claim and nowhere to respond. Their reviewers find you or they do not, and checking either one weekly returns nothing.
Two are submissions. Gayot and the allergen directories add you after you send them information, which is a form to complete once rather than a channel to monitor.
That leaves eight, and your own market cuts it to three or four. A tourist district or a hotel block puts Tripadvisor near the top. A restaurant that fills from three streets away finds Facebook there instead.
Anyone running a quarter of covers off-premise finds the delivery apps, where the rating sits inside the merchant app and never reaches your inbox.
Open each of the eight, count the reviews that landed in the last 30 days and take the top three. That list is your weekly pass, and reputation management software turns it into one screen and one login.
Google Business Profile
One in three diners turns to Google when searching for a restaurant, so managing your reviews on your Google Business Profile is imperative to increase visibility, reach and conversions.
Google’s Reserve with Google feature integrates with your reservation inventory and now showcases your available timeslots directly on your profile, allowing guests to book tables in seconds.
Listing your restaurant is free, and doing so can boost the chances your business appears in relevant searches, especially if you have a lot of positive Google restaurant reviews.
You can, and should, list each of your locations separately, and respond to any review you receive. You can also optimize your Google Business Profile listing by adding photos, integrating your reservation platform and customizing your description.
Google’s relevance is worldwide, so if you run a restaurant, actively monitor this review platform and respond to reviews quickly.
Social media channels are how 49% of diners discover new restaurants. Even in the age of Instagram and TikTok, Facebook is still the largest social media platform in the world, with more than 3 billion users. Making the most of your reviews is crucial if you use the platform as part of your social media strategy.
Creating a Facebook Business Page where customers can leave reviews is free, and you can pay for additional features like ads. It’s easy to respond to reviews and engage with customers on Facebook, making it valuable for fostering a positive reputation and making guests feel appreciated and heard.
Respond to all reviews, not just negative ones. It’s common practice to respond to negative reviews. But responding to positive ones is just as important—it shows gratitude, builds loyalty and signals to potential guests that you care.
When Vandal, a vegan restaurant in Sydney, started responding to every review, their volume of online feedback tripled, and they won back guests who’d had poor experiences. Learn more here.
Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor is an excellent resource for businesses that want to capture a worldwide audience since it allows people to review everything from hotels and tours to restaurants. Travelers searching for a bite to eat often drive a lot of traffic to Tripadvisor, so it’s crucial to have plenty of positive reviews to lure them in.
Tripadvisor allows for reservation integrations, so having good reviews is the perfect way to increase bookings. Claiming your restaurant business listing on Tripadvisor is free, so (as with anywhere you appear on the internet) you should ensure your listing represents your brand voice. You should provide plenty of details such as your location, menu, hours of operation and photos.
If your business is located in a popular tourist destination or an area that attracts seasonal crowds, focusing on Tripadvisor reviews will have a particularly significant impact.
Yelp
With 2.5 million daily users, Yelp is one of the biggest players in the restaurant review game. Yelp is usually one of the first results that appear when people search for restaurants online. Many people go directly to the platform to both look for new restaurants and to check out online reviews of destinations they’re already interested in. Since it has such a prominent reach, it’s essential to manage your presence diligently.
Claiming your Yelp listing is free, but you can also pay for added features like removing competitor ads and more advanced photo options. Yelp allows you to respond to reviews, which can bolster customer engagement and mitigate the damage if/when a bad review happens.
Whether you're listed on two review sites or 10, consistency is key. If your online profiles are outdated, you risk losing potential guests. Keep your hours, menu and contact info current, and use your authentic brand voice. Consistency across platforms boosts local SEO, while high-quality photos can turn a browser into a booker.
OpenTable
OpenTable is both a reservation platform and a restaurant marketplace that has consumer review functionalities. If you are on OpenTable, you should monitor your online restaurant reviews carefully.
The platform’s diner network is robust, and since people use it to book tables, negative reviews can deter diners, while positive ones can lead them to click “book now.”
Zomato
Formerly known as Urbanspoon, Zomato has approximately 15 million monthly users. Zomato differs from sites like Yelp and Google Business Profile because it aggregates reviews from customers, food critics and bloggers alike to provide guests with various points of view. Claiming and building your profile is free. You can also pay for additional features like ads and online ordering integrations.
The Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a prestigious online publication that rates top-quality restaurants worldwide, similar to Zagat. Michelin reviewers dine anonymously and cover more than 30 territories across three continents.
The platform is limited to high-end restaurants that meet criteria, and getting listed can be difficult, but restaurants that earn a spot see a substantial increase in diner interest, food traffic and revenue.
The Infatuation
The Infatuation is a popular restaurant guide and review site. Unlike other sites, The Infatuation doesn’t publish or consider customer reviews or feedback. Instead, it relies on curated content written by its young, hip staff.
If you want to capture the business of “foodies”, getting published on The Infatuation is crucial. However, the site only reviews restaurants in major cities like New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, so you’ll want to check if you’re in one of their coverage areas.
The Infatuation acquired Zagat in 2018, which previously published printed restaurant review guides. The two now represent a respected pair in the dining world.
Foursquare
Foursquare has evolved its model over time, but it’s still an important restaurant review website to monitor. It used to operate on a location-based, check-in model, but now functions more like Yelp since it allows people to search for restaurants and read and write reviews.
Though Foursquare’s reach isn’t nearly as broad as Google or Yelp, its following is large enough to warrant attention. Claiming and editing your listing is free, and it also offers paid features, such as location-based ads, that can help boost visibility.
Gayot
With its impressive 50-year history, Gayot has established a global reputation as a trustworthy source for restaurant reviews. The site rates restaurants based on a 20-point system that solely accounts for the food.
However, decor, ambiance and service are also noted in the commentary. Reviews aren’t user-generated; you submit your business for consideration rather than claiming your listing. The site has an international following but is best suited for restaurants in big cities.
Safe Table (Allergy Eats)
One in four Americans avoids purchasing food with allergens, marking a new revenue stream for restaurants that cater to allergies and other dietary restrictions. For example, interest in gluten-free food as a topic grew 350% in 2024, according to Google Trends. Safe Table helps diners find safe places to eat by filtering for allergens and dietary preferences.
Restaurant owners can get listed on the platform by submitting their menu with allergen information and demonstrating their commitment to food safety.
SevenRooms’ CRM tracks valuable customer data like dietary restrictions and preferences, so your staff can accommodate everything from allergies to meal swaps.
Delivery Apps
Delivery apps like DoorDash and Grubhub should be viewed as more than just services for facilitating takeout orders. Although these apps don’t let customers post in-depth, written reviews or pictures, they do allow users to rate restaurants—so you need to monitor your ratings if you use these platforms.
A one-star rating will certainly impact your delivery business, so don’t let your ratings fall by the wayside if you offer off-premise options.
Consolidate your review channels with reputation management software
When you’re listed across 10+ platforms, manual monitoring isn’t scalable. Reputation management software solves that.
The right tool should consolidate all your reviews in one place, trigger alerts for critical feedback and help you respond faster, ideally with templates for thank-yous, win-backs and standard responses.
SevenRooms CRM, marketing and operations platform does all of this, and more: it ties review data directly to guest profiles. That means your team can identify regulars, surprise happy reviewers with perks and recover unhappy guests before they churn.
Smart review automation helps you spot patterns, measure sentiment trends and use real feedback to improve service—without creating more work for your staff.
Use automation to catch negative reviews before they go public
According to our latest restaurant trends report, 59% of operators still rely on third-party review sites to understand how guests feel about their brand. But that’s changing. More operators are turning to direct guest feedback (56%) and sales data (53%) for a clearer, real-time picture of guest sentiment—before it shows up online.
The key is timing. Automated follow-up emails sent right after the meal give you the chance to hear directly from guests while the experience is still fresh. That not only drives more positive reviews where they matter most, it also gives you a window to address negative feedback privately, before it shows up on sites like Google.
As Andrew Strickland, F&B Manager at Gosford RSL, shared:
“With automated emails, whenever we receive a negative response, we address it immediately to try and transform that feedback into a positive outcome. It’s a safety net, if a guest goes home unhappy, they let us know before posting on Google. It’s helped us improve our score.”
With SevenRooms, you can set up automated feedback emails that allow your team to quickly address issues, so every story shared outside of your restaurant is the one you want the world to see.
Restaurant review sites FAQs
How do you manage customer reviews?
Pay attention to reviews you receive across all review sites, respond to negative and positive reviews and create robust online profiles. You can also use review aggregation software to make managing reviews on multiple platforms easier.
What is the most popular restaurant review app?
Google is the most popular restaurant review platform.
How can I improve my restaurant’s rating?
Reviews can alert you to issues you might not have noticed otherwise, so try to address any pain points your customers point out in their reviews to provide a better dining experience. You should also encourage guests to leave reviews both in-person and with tools like automated follow-up emails.
Which review sites should a restaurant prioritize?
Start with Google, then let your own numbers pick the rest. Count where reviews landed over the last 30 days and take the two or three sites at the top. A tourist district finds Tripadvisor there, a restaurant that fills locally finds Facebook and one running heavy off-premise finds the delivery apps.
Should you reply to every review?
On the sites guests write on, yes, and that includes the five-star ones. Vandal tripled its volume of online feedback after it started replying to every review, and each reply is read by the next diner deciding where to book. The MICHELIN Guide and The Infatuation have no reply function.
