Frequently asked questions

First Table is a restaurant discovery website offering diners 50% off the food bill when they book the first table at one of our partner restaurants for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s the perfect incentive for diners to try new and exciting restaurants and they save money by dining early.

Our partner restaurants list their available first table for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner on our website. Diners can always see availability for the upcoming fourteen days. To secure a table, diners select a restaurant of their choice, the date and pay a booking fee to lock in 50% off the food bill for the specified diner number on your reservation confirmation. 

Regular Table is a real-time restaurant booking feature that allows you to make restaurant bookings for free, at any time, without the First Table offer. This means if you missed the first table of the night, you can still make a normal reservation at a restaurant of your choosing.

A Regular Table booking is exactly what it sounds like! You are choosing to dine at everyday prices, without the First Table offer. There is no fee for booking a Regular Table, and reservations are for one or more diners.

Not all restaurants offer Regular Table. If there’s a restaurant you would like to see on our platform, please suggest a restaurant.

The First Table (and Last Table) deal is strictly 50% off food only, drinks are always full price.

Availability for First Table restaurants is added just after midday for the next fourteen days.

Availability for Regular Table reservations is 90 days ahead.

Visit our homepage and filter by region to find your nearest city. Once you’re there, you’ll find a range of delicious restaurants to choose from. You can also filter by the occasion (breakfast, lunch or dinner) and the type of cuisine. Hurry, the early bird gets the dinner deal!

You’re welcome to book any available times listed on our website. The cut off time to make a restaurant booking is generally 30 minutes prior to the seating time, however, this does vary from venue to venue according to their requirements.

You can sign up for a free First Table account at www.firsttable.com.au using a Facebook login or email address.

The First Table offer is valid for bookings within the guest range selected by the venue, from one up to six diners (solos, and groups of up to six are available at particpating venues in select cities across Australia) including adults and children of any age. Venues may choose to limit bookings to specific group sizes within this range.

Regular Table reservations are for one diner or more. Most restaurants allow online bookings for groups of up to eight. If you have a large group of people, you may need to call the restaurant to make the reservation.

The booking fee varies by restaurant. For solo diners, the fee is slightly lower, while bookings for groups of five or six incur a slightly higher fee.

You may be able to increase your booking size, but this is subject to availability within First Table allocation, and not guaranteed.

No additional fee is charged for increasing diner numbers. 

No fee is returned or credited for reducing diner numbers. 

The First Table offer is valid for bookings within the guest range selected by the venue, from one up to six diners, including adults and children of any age. Venues may choose to limit bookings to specific group sizes within this range. Solo dining is available at participating restaurants, in select cities.

Some restaurants have certain items that are unavailable for the First Table offer. These will be noted under 'special conditions' when you're making your booking and will be included on your booking confirmation.

Your booking confirmation is emailed once payment has been finalised. If you cannot find your confirmation email simply log into your First Table account, select reservations and download your booking. Alternatively, check your email junk folder as sometimes first-time bookings can get lost.

The half-price food offer is only available for the date and time you’ve booked. If you’re more than 15 minutes late, the deal is off. This condition is there to ensure we’re creating a win-win environment where both diners AND restaurants enjoy clear benefits. 

Our concept is a real win-win for diners and restaurants – we bring people together to enjoy new dining experiences and support restaurateurs by getting their night off to a good start. Our partner restaurants use their first table as a promotional tool to attract new customers and fill (otherwise) empty tables.

Simply log into your First Table account, select bookings and cancel your booking. You can also amend the number of diners in this area. Refunds for cancellations are subject to our cancellation policy.

To cancel a Regular Table booking, follow the same steps as above, subject to Regular Table’s cancellation policy.

Absolutely but not twice in a row. First Table was built to encourage foodies to try new restaurants.

The restaurant will most likely have a designated table for First Table diners.

The booking fee entitles you to receive 50% off the food bill when you make your reservation on our website. It is not deducted from the bill.

First Table vouchers cannot be combined with any other offers, discounts or promotions, including restaurant credit unless otherwise specified by the restaurant.

You may spend as much or as little as you like – your food bill will be discounted by 50% at the end of the meal.

Please visit your reservations admin to cancel your booking or contact First Table to amend the number of diners for your booking. Refunds for cancellations are subject to our cancellation policy.

Meals ordered are for dine-in only. Restaurants may allow you to take away leftovers, but to prevent over-ordering, this is at their own discretion.

A maximum of one First Table may be booked per group per night. Booking two tables and combining is prohibited. If you wish to make a group reservation please contact the restaurant directly.

Licensed premises are within their rights to deny you service if you can't produce identification (even when not drinking). To avoid disappointment, please make sure all diners have their ID. Please note, First Table booking fees will not be refunded in this scenario.

Restaurants have full control over the days and times that the offer is available. Availability on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day is extremely limited.

Grab as a gift for your favourite foodie or stock up on credit for yourself. It’s the food gift that keeps on giving! Head to our gift voucher page to buy or redeem a gift voucher. 

Our gift vouchers are only redeemable on our website for First Table booking credit. They cannot be redeemed at our partner restaurants directly or be used as payment for your meal. 

Gift vouchers are redeemable within 12 months of purchase for the equivalent value in First Table credit. See our gift voucher terms and conditions for more details.

At this time, First Table is operating in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and Ireland.

Behind the scenes, we’re a passionate team of food lovers. It’s our job to help make dining out more of a routine than a luxury! Read our story here.