With various apps you can ensure that you can reserve a table from Apple Maps, or even with Siri. Once set up, you can reserve a table for the right number of people in no time. We explain how to do it both ways. Reserving restaurants has never been easier!
- Apple Maps
- Siri
Make a restaurant reservation in Apple Maps
On the iPhone it has always been possible to find a restaurant with Apple Maps and Siri, but the option to immediately book a table makes it just that little bit easier. You need a few things for this:
- iPhone or iPad
- A participating reservation app and participating restaurant
- Apple Maps app
Although you can make the reservation entirely through Apple Maps, your reservation is made behind the scenes through a third-party reservation app. In the Netherlands, TheFork (link) and Quandoo (link) are the most commonly used services, and abroad, Yelp (link) and OpenTable (link) are frequently used services. After downloading the app, first make sure that you are logged in or have created an account. Then also check whether the table reservation extension for Apple Maps is enabled via Settings > Maps > Restaurant reservation. Please note that not every restaurant accepts these types of reservations.
It goes like this:
- Open Apple Maps and search for the restaurant you want to book.
- If the restaurant supports reservations via TheFork, OpenTable, Quandoo or Yelp, a button will immediately appear to reserve a table. Tap the Reserve button.
- The first time you do this, a pop-up will appear to enable an extension, if you haven’t already done so. This ensures that in the future you can book directly from Apple Maps, without having to open the reservation app every time.
- You will now see a screen with available times. If you don’t see a suitable time, tap Change or Change date or number of people or choose a different date or time. Also don’t forget to choose the number of people. By default this is set to 2.
- Choose a time and tap the Book with button [reserveringsapp]. You can also add a special request.
- The table is now booked.
To reserve a table, use an extension of the app to which the restaurant is affiliated. You must therefore have this installed on your device and be logged in with your account. You do this once. You will receive confirmation of your reservation by email from the reservation service you used.
Did you know that you can also rate locations such as restaurants in Apple Maps? At a restaurant you can rate each individual element (food and drinks, atmosphere, customer service) separately with a thumbs up or down.
Book a table with Siri
It is also possible to book a table with Siri. This works as follows:
- Tell Siri you want to make a dinner reservation at a restaurant. You can formulate this in a number of ways, although Siri will not always give a logical answer. You can also simply ask if there is a restaurant nearby.
- Some restaurants are labeled TheFork, OpenTable or Qundoo, while others are labeled Tripadvisor. At restaurants with TheFork, OpenTable or Quandoo it is often possible to make a reservation immediately. Tap on the restaurant and choose Reserve.
If you need to change your reservation later, you will have to go to the relevant reservation app to do this. In the app you can see which reservations you have made and you can then delete or adjust them.
If a restaurant does not use the reservation app, you can of course also look up the contact details via Apple Maps and call the restaurant yourself to reserve a table.
Looking for even more culinary tips? Then check out our list of the best restaurant apps for iPhone for good food.
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