Dine out for 50% less in top UK cities (even at Michelin restaurants)
Dining out during city breaks can be expensive, particularly if you're staying in a hotel rather than half board or self-catered accommodation.
In our latest UK city survey, it was clear that you appreciate a good deal – all of your top five cities scored four out of five for value for money.
While chain restaurants sometimes offer discounts, coupons or kids-eat-free options, it can be tricky to keep costs down at independent restaurants.
But if you’re prepared to eat a little earlier in the evening, it’s possible to dine out for half price in restaurants across the UK if you’re signed up to a website and app called First Table.
Read on to find out how to use First Table for meals in many of the best city break locations in our latest survey, including Liverpool, Bath, Edinburgh, Belfast, Glasgow, London, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester and more.
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What is First Table?
First Table is a website that enables customers book tables in restaurants at off-peak times and get a 50% discount on food. There's a fee of £4-£8 for the table.
The website helps restaurants to fill up during quieter times, while offering savings to incentivise customers to try something new when eating out.
Is there a catch?
No. But there is a fee for the booking, and some basic rules to stick to:
- Groups are allowed, but only up to four people including children.
- There's a fee of £4-£8 per table, depending on the restaurant and number of diners.
- The 50% discount is only for food. Drinks are excluded.
Some restaurants may notify you of additional requirements, such for every diner to buy a drink or a minimum number of courses per diner.
These are clearly shown before you finalise your booking, and there are usually plenty of restaurants that don’t have extra rules.
Planning a budget break? Find the best UK days out for free.
How does it work?
- Sign up for a free First Table account.
- Select a city and ‘Find a Table’.
- Select the date and time range you’d like to book for and use the filters to find a restaurant that interests you. You can choose between areas of the city, cuisine, dietary requirements, price range, types of venues, accessibility levels and even additional features such as high chairs, dog-friendly policies or wi-fi.
- Choose an available slot at the restaurant you’d like to book.
- Confirm your booking and pay the £4-£8 booking fee, which confirms your table booking and 50% discount.
Can you use First Table at the same restaurant twice?
Yes – but not twice in a row. First Table says this is to encourage diners to try new restaurants and keep things fair for all app users.
Liverpool restaurants on First Table
Liverpool was rated your favourite city in our previous survey of the top UK city breaks, and it's home to a buzzing food scene. It’s no wonder you gave it an impressive four stars for its food and drink. First Table has dozens of Liverpool restaurants listed for 50% discounts across different budgets.
We checked how much it would cost to order a three-course meal at Hotel Malmaison’s in-house restaurant, Chez Mal – one of the most upmarket restaurants currently available on First Table in Liverpool.
We found that if you ordered a vegetable minestrone soup, pan-fried hake with a side of green beans and a chocolate molten soufflé, the total would be £44.50 without First Table. But with it, the whole meal would come to just £22.25. Even if you deduct the booking fee of £6, that’s still a £16.25 saving, just for eating at 6.30pm on a Saturday night instead of 7.30pm. Swap the main for a ribeye steak, usually £53.50, and the bill would come to £78.50 – but with First Table, that would be halved to £39.25. That’s a saving of over £150 for a group of four.
Madre, a Mexican restaurant by Albert Dock – one of your favourite cultural sights in the city – is also listed on First Table. It has the most positive reviews in its price category, and the only condition is that every diner must buy a drink with their meal.
See all Liverpool restaurants on First Table.
Edinburgh restaurant offers
Edinburgh was another favourite large city in our survey – you gave it four stars for food and drink.
There are dozens of restaurants offering discounts when you dine off-peak, including Brewhemia, where you can get afternoon tea for £15 instead of £30. With a booking fee of only £1.50 per head, that’s still a saving of £13.50. Alternatively, head to Eve for Italian food – we found that you could order a calamari starter, margarita pizza and side of fries for £14.50, down from £29.
See all Edinburgh restaurants on First Table.
Belfast restaurant half price deals
Also among your top five city-break destinations was Belfast, where you’ll find a good range of restaurants listed on First Table, including Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Home.
When we tried booking a table, the fee was £6 per table, and there was a minimum of two courses and one drink per diner.
We found that you could order a starter of crispy prawns, a main of sea trout and gnocchi and a side of seasonal veg, and it would come to £40.45 without First Table. Dining off-peak brought the cost down to less than £23.
See all Belfast restaurants on First Table.
Dine at Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide for less than £50.
Bath restaurants on First Table
Bath is your favourite medium-sized city, according to our survey, and it has plenty of restaurants listed on First Table.
Michelin Guide Japanese restaurant Robun offers 50% off its à la carte menu – meaning you could order the Robun sashimi and nigiri set for £21 instead of £42, or salmon seared tataki for £6.75 instead of £13.50.
Alternatively, head to The Griffin Inn, which also offers a 50% discount on its à la carte menu of traditional pub fare if you dine off-peak. For example, you could order a Moving Mountains vegan burger for £7 instead of £14, or a superfood salad for £4.50 instead of £9.
See all Bath restaurants on First Table.
First Table is also available in London, Bristol and Cardiff, which were in your top 10 favourite city-break locations, along with Manchester, Brighton and Leeds. Exploring further afield? Find out how to get a free National Trust pass.
