10 Amazing Restaurant Website Designs
July 14, 2009 by Alan Lee
Filed under Web Design
There is a Chinese saying about how the websites of the best restaurants look horrendous. There isn’t? Well, there might as well be one, judging by how most restaurant website designs go. Flash intros, quirky music and PDF menus usually spoil the user experience for the visitor and would-be (would-have-been?) diner. You’d think that after spending a fortune on decor and advertisements, restaurants would maintain a consistent image on their website.
Not all is lost however, we’ve spotted a few shining examples of restaurant/F&B websites that whet our appetites (sorry, poor pun, just couldn’t resist it).
Pomodoro’s is a breeze to navigate. Content sections are clearly defined and its menus and prices are easily understood. Extra stars for providing Google maps to their restaurant locations.
Extra-large imagery on the homepage is a sure winner. The website is a complete source of information for anything related to the chain, from menus to gift cards to even franchising. While the amount of information may be a little heavy for the casual diner, the site gets points for its consistent message of wholesome foods.
Not a restaurant website, but thought we would feature it since it was also dealing with food and was an example of Flash used subtly and with good taste. Its textured-scrapbooked design makes the site look modern and inviting. The site also has great imagery peppered all around.
This is a personal favourite! You don’t need to understand German to know that these guys can whip up a meal. The table setting design is very appropriate for the theme and gives the visitor a good preview of what to expect at their restaurant. The content is light but updated (they have monthly specials on their menu), and the overall design is very appealing.
Aqua’s website has a very 2.0 feel to it. The homepage is parted into sections with each section providing a glimpse of the content within. While the site offers quite alot of information, the use of design and colors makes finding the right bit easy. Having the contact information and opening hours displayed prominently at the footer of every page deserves special mention.
Sometimes it’s more about the atmosphere, and Trinity’s website has done a good job at recreating that atmosphere online for its visitors. The website is consistent with the pub’s decor and image (see the gallery). The use of original and eye-catching graphics on the its scrolling navigation bar at the bottom is a great way to encourage click-throughs to the parts of the site.
The Squid Ink is as artistic as restaurant websites come. It makes good use of textures, colors and typography to achieve a “Grunge-Lite” effect. While you may have to squint at some text due to the semi-transparent background, the overall experience of using the website is still pleasing. It’s also interesting to see a Recipes section where you can learn to recreate some of their dishes. Great example of flaunting what you’ve got while giving value to visitors!
Twelve’s website is like their cooking: bold and innovative. It makes use of full-screen images as its backgrounds and has very minimal content throughout the pages. That, together with the primary colors used on the site, red and gray, conveys sophistication and cool without the need to be too loud.
The main feature on the site is the image-scroller, that upons browsing, will give you a good idea of the eatery and it’s offerings. Navigation is very clear and to the point. The main reason why we like FIG’s website, is that it’s clean, simple and comfortable. Makes you want to hang out there after work, doesn’t it?
A witty(albeit eccentric?) name for a restaurant helps lots in getting people to remember it, and I think its the same thing with horizontally-navigated websites. It’s fun to click along the 3 buttons and have the site slide to the corresponding section. Over and over again. All that fun aside, it has some great photography in the gallery section. This will probably be a website you will remember for awhile.
So there, proof that not all restaurant websites have to be crappy! If you’re the owner with a great restaurant and not-so-great website, email us at enquiry@antidote.com.sg We have the 3-Michelin-stars equivalant in web design!
