Each year we put together a list of our favorite restaurant websites based on a set of criteria: overall design, attention to detail and the unique features that restaurants use to create a powerful first impression to visitors and drive critical revenue. Presenting the best restaurant websites of 2022.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas is an Indian actress, singer and film producer. Her latest title now includes co-founder of SONA, a recently opened restaurant in NYC’s Flatiron District that seeks to ‘reimagine the wonders of Indian fare in a space that evokes a bygone era of a boisterous yet elegant India’. What’s interesting about SONA’s website is that it appears as a hidden veil to a heightened, eclectic dining experience. Elegant and clean, it leaves visitor’s imagining a boisterous atmosphere full of decadent food. Browsing through their menus is one way to be transported behind the doors of SONA. Then, guests can easily book reservations directly through the website.
The Original is a revered Denver-based diner from Sage Restaurant Concepts. Built on the idea of reinventing the place where locals go, this neighborhood eatery satisfies diners with imaginative twists. Their website is a clear example of bringing the restaurant experience online, with quirky illustrations of malts and t-bone steaks throughout which brings the website to life. The navy border keeps guests focused while browsing menus and new happenings inside the restaurant. The highlighted “Reservations” button is optimized to prompt visitors to book a table, thus turning an online guest into a paying customer.
Adriano Paganini is the founder of BACK OF THE HOUSE, Inc, the restaurant group behind some of San Francisco’s most clouted restaurants. The Tailor’s Son is Paganini’s latest, with a menu based on the food he grew up eating in Italy. Like the group’s hospitality philosophy, the website for The Tailor’s Son is unpretentious and showcases their brand with muted textural backgrounds — all while maintaining an air of casual modernity.
Although Roman’s has partnered with BentoBox since 2018, the beloved Brooklyn-based restaurant recently went through a website refresh (BentoBox customers receive a complimentary redesign every 3 years). Roman’s aligns itself with local farmers and producers to serve ‘reverent Italian-influenced food’. Unpretentious and subtle, the new website features a unique, graph paper background. For brevity, the homepage immediately features the lunch and dinner menus which are updated daily. Visitors can quickly call the restaurant with one click or simply make a reservation through the integration with Resy.
Friends & Family is an acclaimed market-driven cafe and bakery in Los Angeles. At the helm is husband and wife duo, Pastry Chef/Baker Roxana Jullapat and Chef Daniel Matter, who opened Friends & Family after stents in several renowned kitchens of Los Angeles — including AOC, Lucques, Campanile, and Cooks County. Their new website is simplistic, yet refined. Beautiful imagery of scrumptious pastries and tempting deli items entice hungry visitors. The defined “Order Now” button in the navigation all but seals the deal to convince visitors to place orders for pickup and delivery all without leaving the website.
Anton’s is a nostalgic New York café whose cuisine celebrates the rich culinary history of its New York City with deep European influences. Their website evokes a neo-classical feel with the use of italicized serif typefaces alongside beautiful photography of their cuisine and interiors. Anton’s use of a side navigation allows visitors to quickly browse through their menus, hours and press articles. The website uses highlighted buttons as a call to action, so guests can quickly reserve a table or even to subscribe to their e-newsletters.
With four locations in the New York area, Big Gay Ice Cream is a haven for ice cream lovers. As tasteful as its dipped cones, the website is a fun, vibrant browsing experience. With the store locator feature, visitors can quickly find their nearest location and can access important information such as FAQs about their ice cream, read about their philanthropic efforts, inquire about hosting events and purchase gift cards.
Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Chef José Andrés has had a prolific career as a chef, restaurateur, author and activist. His relief organization, World Central Kitchen, helps feed thousands wherever disaster strikes. China Poblano is one of the latest concepts from Andrés, mixing two rich food cultures: Chinese and Mexican. The website highlights the two cultures through bright colors and symbolic and textural iconography. The Happenings page details the latest events taking place at The Cosmopolitan luxury hotel-based restaurant.
Drawing influence from Northern Italy, Colletta is a collection of unique dining experiences, just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, with a twist on treasured classics. Part of The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, Colletta’s website draws in a visitor’s attention through clean and modern design. Their website, on mobile, boasts quick call-to-action buttons to make a reservation or to call the restaurant. Visitors can easily inquire about private dining or learn about events, happy hours and more.
Located in Los Angeles’ Arts District, Damian is firmly rooted in Mexican culture and cuisine with a focus on seasonality using the best of California’s produce. Damian is the twin concept to Cosme — a celebrated restaurant in New York City. Renowned chef and owner, Enrique Olvera takes a new approach to how guests experience Mexican cuisine at Damian and evidence of this is directly reflected through their website. Delightedly minimal in its approach, “Damian” is boldly written on the left-hand side of the desktop version of their website alongside an image showcasing their stark, minimalist interior. Visitors can simply navigate through the site by scrolling, revealing their about section, food and drink menus and critically important contact and location information. Whether it’s to make reservations or purchase a digital gift card, visitors can do so through the website with ease.
Diner has been one of Brooklyn’s most celebrated local restaurants over the last two decades. Owned and operated by Andrew Tarlow of the Marlow Collective, the defining feature is the 90-year-old Pullman dining car in the bar. Their website is clean and modest, with full-bleed images of the interiors that allude to the unique dining experience. A highlighted “Online Ordering” button takes visitors to their online ordering store where they can purchase food for pickup and delivery, directly through their website.
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What started in 2014 as a food cart, parked on the sidewalk in front of a local Vancouver brewery, has since grown into a brick and mortar restaurant with an operating food truck. Disco Cheetah Korean Grill serves up bright, bold Korean dishes and their website embodies the radiant aspect of Korean cuisine. Visitors can inquire about booking the food truck for an event, but the most unique feature is their online ordering store with mouth-watering photography of their to-go dishes.
Federalist Pig is one of Washington, DC’s most iconic barbecue joints — so much so that it was featured in an episode of Netflix's House of Cards. Its website is a feast for the senses, including bright colors, cheeky line illustrations and mouthwatering food photography. Despite how loud and eye-catching the design system is, the site itself is clean, well-structured and easy to navigate. It shows that restaurant websites do not need to choose between making a splash and being user-friendly.
Operated by renowned pasta chef-owner, Chris Cipollone (Piora, Cotogna) and owner-operator John Winterman (Batard, Daniel), Francie is one of the most anticipated new openings in Brooklyn this year. Their elegant and refined website highlights an approachable yet elevated dining experience. A unique characteristic of their website is their “Happenings” page where visitors can purchase tickets online to the “Learn How To Make Pasta Like A Pro” event or to get behind the scenes and work in a real kitchen through their “Guest Chef For A Day” experience.
Built in 1927, High Street Market and Deli has been serving the community of San Luis Obispo — in between Los Angeles and San Francisco — for nearly one hundred years. Their website is modern, clean and impactful — with their fun, illustrative branding spread throughout (we love their menus). Visitors can order catering directly on their website. But best of all, for their devout followers, visitors can shop their online store for all kinds of branded merch and goods.
Ophelia is a rooftop cocktail lounge on the 26th floor of New York City’s famous Beekman Tower with 360-degree views of Manhattan. Their enchanting website brilliantly fades from dark to light gradient as visitors scroll, with animated figures and allusions to the building’s rich art deco history. The website boasts a 5-star menu from Chef Antelmo Ambrosio with expertly crafted cocktails by Amir Babayoff.
A Canadian Brasserie, with a nod toward traditional french cuisine, Reign is one of Toronto’s most popular restaurants. They position the restaurant as “big-city flair with a hint of country nobility.” Its branding shows online. Their website exudes a type of sophistication one would find inside, with grandiose imagery of dishes and rich interiors—subtle notes of the evergreen and gold color palette is in assistance. An up-to-date music page showcases its monthly live entertainment.
While this list is generally reserved for restaurants, resident is the exception (in a way). Resident prides itself on being “a new era in hospitality” and hosts bespoke culinary experiences in unique, residential spaces. They bring inspiring chefs and curious epicureans together in beautiful venues for memorable nights of conversation, connection and unforgettable food. Their minimalistic website elicits a return to the art of hospitality — something that is ethereal and magical. The website features a page dedicated to their collection of chefs where visitors can read about them. Visitors can quickly claim a seat at the table by visiting their “reservations” page which features upcoming dinners.
Tiki is back and here to stay. Tiki Chick is the latest concept from Pickle Hospitality. The group has worked meticulously to bring unique, approachable and refreshing tiki drinks to New Yorkers. Their website directly reflects their ethos with bright colors and fun branding, transporting visitors to a tropical paradise of another time, yet evokes our modern time. Just take a look at their elaborate menus, including fun, illustrated renditions of their tiki drinks.
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