How to book restaurants for a large group on holiday

Finding a lovely restaurant is easy. Finding one that can seat fourteen people together at 8 pm on Saturday is a different hobby. A few planned meals out can give a self-catering group a proper night off, provided someone checks the booking details before everyone starts imagining dessert.

Agree the diners and budget before choosing a restaurant

Pick one or two shared restaurant nights rather than assuming everyone wants to eat out daily. Ask who is definitely coming, count children separately and agree a spending limit including drinks. For a group of 14, send that exact number with your preferred date and time; ask how early the restaurant needs a firm headcount. Busy weekends and small resort restaurants deserve an enquiry before the trip.

• •Ask whether the group will sit at one table, adjacent tables or in a separate room.
• •Check step-free access, high chairs and child portions where needed.
• •Send dietary requirements and allergies in advance; ask the restaurant to confirm suitable options and cross-contact precautions.
• •Offer an earlier sitting or a different evening if your first choice cannot fit everyone.

Check the set menu and deposit terms

Large parties may need a fixed menu, advance orders or a deposit. Ask what is included, whether service is extra and whether a minimum spend applies. For illustration, 12 menus at €35 cost €420; a 10% service charge adds €42 before drinks. A €120 deposit credited against that total leaves €342 to pay before drinks, not another €462. These are example figures, not a local price estimate.

• •Get written confirmation of the booking, menu price and payment already taken.
• •Ask when you can change the headcount and what happens if someone cancels or does not arrive.
• •Confirm whether the deposit comes off the bill and whether separate payments are accepted.
• •If advance orders are required, collect named choices and send one final list by the deadline.

Make getting there part of the booking

Share the address, confirmed time and transport plan in one message. Allow time for parking or pre-book taxis for the actual passenger count; check the return journey too. Nominate one contact for the restaurant and agree how the group will pay before sitting down. The waiter should not have to reconstruct fourteen separate conversations over the card machine.

Remove the restaurant dinner from your shopping plan

For a four-night stay with two restaurant dinners, shop for two home-cooked dinners plus the breakfasts and lunches you actually need. Check whether anyone is staying at the rental on restaurant nights and plan their portions separately. Give the cooking team that evening off, keep a simple cupboard meal as a fallback and reconfirm the reservation before the final grocery shop.