Pub website design that fills tables, not just pages
Updated 19 October 2026
Good pub website design answers the questions people actually ask before they visit: are you open, are you serving food right now, can I book Sunday lunch, and is the garden dog-friendly? Put bar hours and food serving times on the first screen, show the menu as text, add a "Book a table" button and let guests order to their table by QR code. Menuthere gives independent UK pubs that site with ordering built in and 0% commission. It's free to start, and table booking comes with Lite (US$17 a month).
What people want from a pub website
Most visits to a pub website last seconds and happen on a phone. People are checking something specific.
| They want to know | Put it here |
|---|---|
| Are you open now? | Bar hours on the first screen, with today highlighted |
| Is the kitchen open? | Food serving times, separate from bar hours |
| What's on the menu and what does it cost? | Menu as text with £ prices, including VAT |
| Can I book Sunday lunch? | A "Book a table" button on the first screen and on the menu |
| What's on this week? | Quiz night, live music, live sport, beer festival |
| Can I bring the dog or the kids? | A short "Good to know" list |
| Is there a garden, parking, step-free access? | The same list, plus the address and map |
| Do you have rooms? | A link to rooms, if you're an inn |
The biggest single fix for most pub sites is the second row. "Open 11–11" doesn't tell a family whether they can eat at 3pm.
The pages a pub website needs
You don't need many. A small independent pub can do it all on one well-built page plus a menu.
- Home: hours, food times, a photo of the pub, "Book a table" and "Order to your table".
- Food menu: main menu, Sunday roast, kids' menu and specials, as text.
- Drinks: cask ales and lagers on now, wines by the glass with measures (125ml, 175ml, 250ml), spirits and soft drinks.
- What's on: this week's events.
- Find us: address, map, parking, nearest bus or station, accessibility.
- Contact and private hire: phone, email, function room details.
- Rooms (inns only): link to your booking engine. See our hotel and B&B room service menu.
Need a menu layout first? Start with our free pub menu templates.
Pub website design tips
Lead with the pub, not a slideshow
Use one strong photo of your bar, garden or Sunday roast. Rotating slideshows push the useful bits down the screen.
Make the menu text, not a PDF
PDF menus are slow and fiddly on a phone, and they go stale. A text menu loads fast, can be read by Google and is easy to change when the beef runs out.
Show the roast, then sell it
Sunday lunch is the week's biggest food session for many pubs. Give it its own block with the price, the meats, a veggie option and the booking button.
Say what's on, then keep it current
A quiz-night banner from last March tells people the site isn't looked after. Keep "What's on" to the next two weeks.
Be clear about families, dogs and access
"Dogs welcome in the bar and garden. Children welcome until 8pm. Step-free entrance at the side door." Three lines save a dozen phone calls.
Allergens and prices
Show allergens on the menu itself. In Menuthere you can tag any of the 14 UK allergens, calories (kcal) and a halal mark on each dish, on every plan including Free. Guests see them when they open a dish. Keep a full allergen matrix behind the bar too; our free allergen chart maker can load your dish allergens from Menuthere. Add a line such as "Please tell us about any allergies before you order." Show prices with VAT included. You can't add a surcharge for paying by card in the UK.
Match your Google Business Profile
Use the same name, address, phone number and hours on your site and your Google profile. Add your menu and booking link there too.
Turn the website into bookings and orders
A pub website earns its keep when it does something.
- Table booking: guests pick a date and time slot. You set the days, slots and notice period. Table booking is on Lite and above (US$17 a month). See table booking and pre-orders.
- Pre-orders for big days: Christmas menus and large Sunday groups can order ahead for a set date and time, so the kitchen knows what's coming (Lite and above).
- Order to table: a QR code on every table and garden bench. Guests order drinks and food from their phone. A second round joins the open order. Table QR codes are on every plan, including Free. Read about our pub ordering system.
- Happy hour on a timer: show dishes or drinks only on the days and hours you choose (every plan), or cut prices for a set window with an item offer (Lite and above). See our pub ordering system.
- Sold out in one tap: mark the roast beef sold out the moment it's gone.
- Takeaway: fish and chips on a Friday or Sunday dinners to take home, from the same menu.
One link for your menu, bookings and table orders. Add table booking from US$17 a month (7-day free trial; you add a card, but nothing is charged until it ends).
Your options for a pub website
| Option | Typical cost (estimate) | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile only | Free | Being found on Maps | No booking or ordering of your own |
| General website builder | Monthly plan, plus add-ons for booking or ordering | Story-led sites with events pages and blogs | You may need separate booking and ordering tools |
| Pub company site (tied or managed pubs) | Sometimes included | Tenants of larger pub companies | How much you control varies by pub company; ask yours |
| Agency-built site | Quoted per project, usually the biggest up-front cost | Pub groups | Cost of every later change |
| Ordering website (Menuthere) | Free plan; table booking from US$17 a month (Lite); 0% commission | Independents who want menu, booking and table ordering in one place | Not a blog or events platform |
Costs are typical estimates.
What you get with Menuthere
- A landing page with hero, menu, highlights, gallery, favourites and a "Visit" block for address, hours and contact (Lite and above). Fill it from your Google listing in one step.
- Your menu imported from a photo or PDF, with sizes and add-ons, such as pint or half, 125ml or 175ml.
- Dishes served as text, so search engines can read them.
- Your own domain on Lite, such as
book.yourpub.co.uk. Free uses a Menuthere link. - Table booking on Lite and above (US$17 a month), including pre-ordering dishes with a booking and other scheduled orders.
- Allergens and calories on every dish: tag the 14 UK allergens, kcal and halal, on every plan. Guests see them when they open a dish.
- Table QR ordering on every plan.
- Card payments to your own Stripe account (Lite and above), plus Apple Pay and Google Pay if you switch them on in Stripe. Menuthere takes 0% commission. Stripe charges its own fee.
- No "Ordering by Menuthere" badge on Lite and above.
- Kitchen tickets print when you accept an order. Drinks can go to a separate bar printer.
What it doesn't do: it isn't a full EPOS, and it doesn't integrate with UK EPOS systems. It runs alongside your till. Compare options in EPOS for pubs. It also isn't a blog or events calendar. The landing page's highlights cards (three to six, with your own text) suit regular fixtures such as "Quiz every Tuesday". For dated events, keep a separate events page or post them on your Google profile.
Pricing: Free US$0 (50 orders a month), Lite US$17 a month, Pro US$39 a month. Plans are billed in US dollars; your bank converts it. Lite and Pro have a 7-day free trial. A card is needed to start it, but nothing is charged until it ends. See pricing.
Opening or taking on a pub? Read how to open a pub in the UK and use our pub business plan template.
FAQs
What should a pub website include?
Bar hours, food serving times, the menu as text with prices, a Sunday roast section, a booking button, what's on this week, address and map, and notes on dogs, children, the garden and access.
How much does a pub website cost?
From free (a Google Business Profile) to thousands of pounds for an agency build. Builders charge monthly. Menuthere has a Free plan for your menu and table QR ordering. Table booking, your own domain and online card payments come with Lite (US$17 a month).
Can customers book a table on my pub website?
Yes. With Menuthere, guests choose a date and time slot, and you set the days, slots and notice period. Table booking is on Lite and above (US$17 a month), with a 7-day free trial (a card is needed to start it, but nothing is charged until it ends).
Can guests order to their table from the website?
Yes. Put a QR code on each table. Guests scan it, order from your menu and the order reaches the bar or kitchen with the table number. Table QR codes are on every plan.
Should my pub menu be a PDF?
No. A text menu loads faster on phones, is easier to update and can be read by Google.
Do I need a separate website for my pub's rooms?
Not always. Many inns link to a hotel booking engine from the main site. For room service, see our hotel and B&B page.
Sources (5)
- Menuthere, Free restaurant website builder, menuthere.com/en/free-restaurant-website-builder (accessed 11 Oct 2026).
- Menuthere, Pre-orders and table booking, menuthere.com/en/features/pre-orders-and-table-booking (accessed 11 Oct 2026).
- Menuthere, Bars and pubs, menuthere.com/en/solutions/bars (accessed 11 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK, Alcohol licensing (mandatory conditions: smaller measures available), gov.uk/guidance/alcohol-licensing (accessed 11 Oct 2026).
- Food Standards Agency, Allergen guidance for food businesses, gov.uk/government/publications/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses (accessed 11 Oct 2026).