Have you ever found yourself in a situation so dire, you forgot to eat for days? Highly unlikely. This reflects how much of a necessity food is and means that regardless of the state of a country or an economy, one business that remains in demand is food sales.

And since one-third of online consumers use the Internet to search for local businesses daily, having a great website for your restaurant business is more important now than ever.

Many people are choosing to eat at home instead of at restaurants, and your website could be a big factor in whether they choose yours out of a million restaurant locations. In fact, 89% of people research a restaurant online before making a reservation, and more than half are discouraged from visiting a restaurant due to a bad website.

When customers land on your website, you want them to feel you have the best food around and appreciate the ease and simplicity of your ordering process.

To come up with an exceptional website design, it often helps to have a little inspiration. We’ve put together a list of the best restaurant websites so you know where to start with yours.

Restaurant Website Design Inspirations

1. Colonia Verde

“Unconventionally Simple, Effectively Engaging”

This website employs warmth and simplicity in a way that is uncannily effective. It uses a bold hero block with a high-resolution full-width image and to showcase delicious dishes and give a cozy feel, while a simple navigation menu makes it easy to find essential information.  

The design also features a sticky header which remains accessible throughout and , displays with the logo, reservation button, and off-canvas menu. Norma’s choice of website design is so psychologically on point that it makes you form an opinion on the brand just by interactin with the website. It speaks “reliable”.

2. Dishoom

"Inviting Nostalgia with a Modern Twist"

Dishoom's website blends nostalgia with modern design, evoking the charm of Bombay's Irani cafés. The site features warm colors, vintage-inspired elements, and high-quality visuals that transport visitors to old Bombay.

Smooth navigation, an easy-to-find reservation system, and rich storytelling enhance the user experience, making it both visually appealing and functional. Dishoom's website effectively combines tradition and modernity, inviting users to explore its unique dining experience.

3. Yellow Chilli 

"Touch of Class and Immersion"

Yellow Chilli's immersive experience is craftily designed to make you feel like you're stepping into the restaurant from your screen. The background is a responsive image of luxury hospitality and class.

While you absorb a first impression of welcoming elegance, it avoids distraction by using no more than a single sentence of compelling copy, using a drop-down to hide the rest of the top navigation, and highlighting the Menu button.

The minimalist approach ensures that the user's attention is directed towards what matters the most - the food..

4. Rozzi's

"Casual Elegance with Authentic Italian Flavors"

Rozzi's website showcases casual elegance with a focus on authentic Italian cuisine. The design features warm tones and inviting images of delicious dishes, creating a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. Clear navigation and prominent call-to-action buttons for reservations and menu browsing enhance usability. 

The site effectively balances simplicity and visual appeal, allowing visitors to easily find information while being drawn into the rich, culinary experience Rozzi's promises. The straightforward design ensures that the focus remains on the food and the dining experience, making it easy for users to connect with the essence of Rozzi's Italian hospitality.

5. Noma

"Immersive Elegance in Minimalism"

Noma’s website reflects elegance and simplicity. The high resolution background image gives not just a visual but a feeling, evoking an an immersive experience of cozy camping in a woodhouse. It makes you feel like you’ve come to a familiar space. 

The rest of the scene features a clean, minimalist design with use of whitespace that prioritizes ease of navigation, with a straightforward layout that directs attention to key elements like reservations, menus, and the restaurant’s philosophy. 

High-quality images of the restaurant and its dishes create , while the use of whitespace and a subdued color palette exude sophistication. The website’s design effectively mirrors Noma’s commitment to refined culinary excellence and a seamless dining experience.

6. Osteria Francescana

“ Sophistication and Storytelling”

The site features a sleek, modern design with a monochromatic color scheme using high-resolution images that capture the artistry and passion behind each dish. The navigation is intuitive, guiding visitors effortlessly through sections on the restaurant's history, philosophy, and reservation details. 

The design delivers a stroke of genius in blending evocative imagery with thoughtfully crafted text that ensures that users are not only informed but also emotionally connected to the essence of Osteria Francescana. 

The website also includes detailed information about the chef, menus, and reservation process, making it easy for visitors to plan their dining experience.

7. Blackbell

"Embracing Simplicity for Swift Ordering"

Blackbell's restaurant website design takes simplicity to another level. On average, website users spend 57% of their time above the fold (the part of the page you can see without scrolling down). This design effectively uses this fact, prioritizing Call-to-actions (CTAs) to engage users from the start.

Without clear CTAs, website visitors may leave the site without taking any desired action. Blackbell's design leaves nothing to chance, leading users where to go without room for confusion or distraction while also adding a simplistic footer just below the fold that prominently displays a phone number.

Optimized for swift ordering, the website compels users to input their branch and location, place their orders or log in without really thinking twice.

The copy also throws in a touch of relatable local slang to make you feel at home.

8. Quay

"Masterclass in Sophistication"

Quay’s website embodies refined modern elegance, capturing the essence of one of Sydney’s most iconic dining experiences. The homepage greets visitors with stunning high-resolution images of both the restaurant's breathtaking harbor views and its meticulously crafted dishes. 

The design is clean and minimalistic, allowing the visuals to speak volumes. Navigation is smooth and intuitive, with sections dedicated to the menu, reservations, and the philosophy behind Quay’s culinary art. Subtle animations and a sophisticated color palette further enhance the user experience, making the website as memorable as the dining experience itself. 

This seamless blend of form and function ensures that visitors are captivated and informed, perfectly mirroring Quay’s commitment to excellence.

9. Easy Bistro

"Coastal Chic and Culinary Delight"

Easy Bistro’s website perfectly captures the coastal chic vibe of this popular Chattanooga dining spot. From the moment you land on the homepage, you’re greeted with high-quality images that showcase the restaurant’s inviting atmosphere and delectable dishes. The design is clean and modern, with a focus on simplicity and elegance.

The navigation is straightforward, guiding you effortlessly through sections like the menu, reservations, and event bookings. The color scheme, dominated by soft blues and whites, evokes a sense of calm and relaxation, mirroring the bistro’s coastal inspiration. Subtle animations and well-placed calls to action enhance the overall user experience, making it easy to explore what Easy Bistro has to offer.

 10. Bbqcravings

"Niche Specialization with Visual Impact"

BBQcravings' restaurant website design strategically focuses on its specialty - burgers. From the moment visitors land on the homepage, they are greeted with enticing visuals of mouth-watering burgers.

The design subtly communicates the message that BBQcravings is not just another restaurant; they excel at making burgers, and they want the world to know it. This laser-focused approach effectively targets burger enthusiasts, setting BBQcravings apart in the online market.

Each of these restaurant websites exemplifies excellence in design and functionality, catering to both aesthetic appeal and user experience. Whether through immersive visuals, intuitive navigation, or compelling storytelling, these websites effectively communicate each restaurant’s unique brand and offerings to engage and inspire visitors. By drawing inspiration from these examples, restaurant owners can create impactful online experiences that resonate with their audience and drive customer engagement.

Your Cue to Get Started

Setting up a website for your restaurant is certainly the right step if you're interested in growth and increased sales.

When a website is designed successfully, it is easy for customers to navigate, aesthetically pleasing, and includes key details such as location, menu, hours, and any other key pieces of information. If a person has never been to your restaurant before, then your website is their first impression.

Obviously, you'd rather focus on the actual activities involved in making and selling food, so creating a website yourself might be an uncomfortable task. This challenge is the entire point of tools like Hivedeck.

Hivedeck is a website builder that supports restaurant websites. It offers a free platform to create a website without coding, and you can choose pre-made but editable restaurant templates to get you started as quickly as possible.

We also offer all the support services you need to set up and run your website. If you need help creating a website that is perfect for your restaurant, contact us today to talk to a design expert! For additional guidance, check out our website design tips for restaurants.