Latest news with #OpenTable
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
St Ives restaurant that offers 'incredible culinary experience' among UK's best
A St Ives cafe which offers an "incredible culinary experience" has been named as one of the UK's best for outdoor dining. Porthminster Beach Cafe featured on the list from OpenTable, along with a few other Cornwall eateries. The restaurant reservation site compiled a list of its top 100 spots around the country. In a statement, they said: "If you're looking for the perfect place to dine outdoors this summer, this list has it all. "Visit diner favourites in your area and enjoy a shared experience in the sun with friends, family, and even your dog!" The full list of the UK's best outdoor dining spots for 2025 can be found on the OpenTable website here. The list by OpenTable is generated from more than 800,000 reviews from verified OpenTable diners and dining metrics from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. Restaurants with a minimum threshold of diner reviews were considered and evaluated through various factors. These included: Diner ratings Percentage of five-star reviews Number of alerts set Percentage of reservations made in advance Percentage of capacity and direct searches Metrics were weighted to comprise an overall score, with restaurants then filtered by having outdoor dining. According to its website, the "iconic whitewashed restaurant" enjoys "spectacular panoramic views" of the surrounding area. It adds: "In the summer, providing a retreat from the sun-scorched sands below; it is the ideal spot to indulge in vibrant dishes infused with flavour, accompanied by bottles of crisp, refreshing wine pulled dripping from their coolers. "A glass enclosed, heated terrace makes year round outdoor dining a pleasure." Much of the menu has Asian and Mediterranean influences which showcase the "freshest seafood, garden-grown produce, and foraged coastal ingredients". Porthminster Beach Cafe has been well-received by visitors, earning a 4.4/5 rating on Tripadvisor from 3,846 reviews. One person shared: "This was an incredible culinary experience for the entire family! "The food was practically gourmet, even the kids menu was not only delicious but on par with the adults menu. Very reasonable prices for the exquisite quality of food." Recommended reading: Falmouth eatery with a 'lovely vibe' among UK's best for outdoor dining in 2025 Why this 'charming' and 'scenic' Cornwall town matches the Amalfi Coast 'Quiet' Cornwall beach with 'stunning scenery' among England's best hidden gems Another said: "We came here for a Sunday Roast and it was delicious. Really generous portion size, lovely view and the service was quick and friendly. Will definitely go back." A third wrote: "This cafe/restaurant was amazing - the food, looked, smelt and tasted superb! "I had scallops and skate - both super fresh and delicious! Excellent value, great service and ambiance! Highly recommended!"
The Herald Scotland
9 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Porthminster Beach Cafe crowned one of the UK's best
Porthminster Beach Cafe featured on the list from OpenTable, along with a few other Cornwall eateries. The restaurant reservation site compiled a list of its top 100 spots around the country. In a statement, they said: "If you're looking for the perfect place to dine outdoors this summer, this list has it all. "Visit diner favourites in your area and enjoy a shared experience in the sun with friends, family, and even your dog!" The full list of the UK's best outdoor dining spots for 2025 can be found on the OpenTable website here. Why is Porthminster Beach Cafe among the UK's best for outdoor dining? The list by OpenTable is generated from more than 800,000 reviews from verified OpenTable diners and dining metrics from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. Restaurants with a minimum threshold of diner reviews were considered and evaluated through various factors. These included: Diner ratings Percentage of five-star reviews Number of alerts set Percentage of reservations made in advance Percentage of capacity and direct searches Metrics were weighted to comprise an overall score, with restaurants then filtered by having outdoor dining. According to its website, the "iconic whitewashed restaurant" enjoys "spectacular panoramic views" of the surrounding area. It adds: "In the summer, providing a retreat from the sun-scorched sands below; it is the ideal spot to indulge in vibrant dishes infused with flavour, accompanied by bottles of crisp, refreshing wine pulled dripping from their coolers. "A glass enclosed, heated terrace makes year round outdoor dining a pleasure." Much of the menu has Asian and Mediterranean influences which showcase the "freshest seafood, garden-grown produce, and foraged coastal ingredients". What do visitors think of Porthminster Beach Cafe? Porthminster Beach Cafe has been well-received by visitors, earning a 4.4/5 rating on Tripadvisor from 3,846 reviews. Best Beaches in the UK One person shared: "This was an incredible culinary experience for the entire family! "The food was practically gourmet, even the kids menu was not only delicious but on par with the adults menu. Very reasonable prices for the exquisite quality of food." Recommended reading: Another said: "We came here for a Sunday Roast and it was delicious. Really generous portion size, lovely view and the service was quick and friendly. Will definitely go back." A third wrote: "This cafe/restaurant was amazing - the food, looked, smelt and tasted superb! "I had scallops and skate - both super fresh and delicious! Excellent value, great service and ambiance! Highly recommended!"
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
Argoe in Newlyn crowned one of the UK's best eateries
Argoe featured on the list from OpenTable, along with a few other Cornwall eateries. The restaurant reservation site compiled a list of its top 100 spots around the country. In a statement, they said: "If you're looking for the perfect place to dine outdoors this summer, this list has it all. "Visit diner favourites in your area and enjoy a shared experience in the sun with friends, family, and even your dog!" The full list of the UK's best outdoor dining spots for 2025 can be found on the OpenTable website here. Why is Argoe among the UK's best restaurants for outdoor dining? The list by OpenTable is generated from more than 800,000 reviews from verified OpenTable diners and dining metrics from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. Restaurants with a minimum threshold of diner reviews were considered and evaluated through various factors. These included: Diner ratings Percentage of five-star reviews Number of alerts set Percentage of reservations made in advance Percentage of capacity and direct searches Metrics were weighted to comprise an overall score, with restaurants then filtered by having outdoor dining. Argoe is said to be a "tribute" to Newlyn's fishing heritage as well as a "celebration of those that continue to fish here today". According to its website, its purpose is to bring "some of the country's best produce from the sea to our tables". Some dishes on their sample menu include hand-dived scallops, Piri Piri Monkfish, whole lobster and John Dory. What do visitors think of Argoe? Argoe has been well-received by visitors, earning a 4.5/5 score on Tripadvisor from 133 reviews. One person wrote: "As everyone says, expect beautiful food, good wines and attentive service. "Sharing platters for a whole fish works well with vegetables or salad, your choice. Deserts and cheese are also excellent." Best Beaches in the UK Another said: "Great welcome and some amazing fish overlooking the harbour. Some delectable wines and amazing Cornish Gin. Recommended reading: "The grilled scallops simply the best and the Newlyn Crab is quite perfect." A third shared: "Wanted to go here for a long time and not disappointed, I would say the best fish I've ever tasted, flavours amazing. "The staff are lovely and friendly a great dining experience."
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
NYC restaurant seats customers in apartment next door
Now this is home cooking! Upper East Side Italian restaurant Caffe Buon Gusto has been quietly seating customers in an apartment next door when their dining room is full, cramming them into its two bedrooms, living room and even hallway — stunning the unsuspecting. 'I had zero idea. They have a main dining room, that's where I assumed we'd be, but when we got there, it was a different story,' said Dylan Rozell, who was dyspeptic at the prospect of eating in a 'bare bedroom' when he visited the East 77th Street joint on Valentine's Day last year with three friends. 'We kept going further back and we go through the kitchen, they bring us down really narrow stairs, then up another set of stairs and next thing you know, I'm in a walk-up building and they open a door to an apartment,' the Staten Island native who lives in FiDi told The Post. Rozell chowed down on his gnocchi with vodka sauce topped with burrata — which he said was 'freaking delicious' — in one of the two bedrooms of the apartment. 5 Dylan Rozell and his friends, who made Valentine's Day reservations at Caffe Buon Gusto, dined in the bedroom of an apartment next door. Courtesy of Dylan Rozell 'Isn't that crazy? There were two tables in our room, and the room was small, giving classic New York City bedroom vibes,' he explained. 'And it was silent in there. Not even an ounce of music.' Other diners occupied other spots in the four-room abode. 'There was one table filled in the living room and then one in the second bedroom,' he continued. When Rozell ventured to the bathroom, he was in for yet another surprise. 'There were beer cases stuffed in the bathtub. I was very confused,' he confessed. 5 When Rozell entered the apartment's bathroom, he was shocked to see cases of beer inside its bathtub. Courtesy of Dylan Rozell Other patrons pointed out the 'strange' seating situation in their reviews on OpenTable, where the restaurant boasts a 4.3 out of 5 rating for its ambience. 'We were seated in a back space that looked like an apartment. The ambiance in that room was particularly strange and quiet as we were eating in the hallway of an apartment,' noted a customer who dined there on March 8. Caffe Buon Gusto — 'Good Taste' in Italian — opened in 1988, and is housed on the first floor of a six-story walk-up. To the right of the restaurant is the entrance to the residential building, where apartment No. 1 has been rented by the restaurant's owner, Nando Ghorchian since 2021, according to property records. Gabrielle Gorman, who lived in the flat-turned dining room for two years until 2019 with a roommate, found out the restaurant took over her pad after she saw a TikTok video in March which did not name the location, which was first identified by East Side Feed. 'I was like, 'OMG, that was my old bedroom!'' Gorman told The Post. 'I was absolutely shocked that I used to live in that apartment.' The apartment is conveniently located near the restaurant's kitchen, accessible through the building's side door. 'That door was always open and you could see into their kitchen,' she remembered. 5 This first floor apartment is being used to seat restaurant customers. Helayne Seidman 5 The restaurant's kitchen can be seen through the building's side door. Helayne Seidman Gorman said she was surprised that the restaurant — whose priciest pasta is a $42.95 linguine with lobster, shrimp, calamari and scallops — would shell out extra dough for the pad. 'I just think it's fascinating that they could afford that apartment too,' she said. 'By the time we moved out, the rent was up to $3,200. When I first moved in, it was $2,900.' The building is owned by Taormina Holding Corporation, based on East 74th Street, who said: 'There are no violations regarding the apartment. Furthermore, the office has not received any complaints from the other tenants regarding the tenancy.' 5 Caffe Buon Gusto is housed on the first floor of a six-story walk-up. Helayne Seidman In 1992, Ghorchian debuted a second Caffe Buon Gusto location in Brooklyn Heights. In 2023, he opened a third in Hoboken. He had another location in Riverdale, which has since closed. He did not return requests for comment by The Post and staff at the restaurant declined to comment. Shari Logan, assistant press secretary for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene told The Post: 'New York City and New York State health regulations prohibit home-based restaurants,' noting that homes cannot be used as dining areas.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Online restaurant reservation trading nears closing time in Louisiana
Getty Images Louisiana is set to outlaw a new, lucrative industry that deals in the online buying and selling of restaurant reservations. The state Senate unanimously approved House Bill 90 by Rep. Troy Hebert, R-Lafayette, without discussion Thursday. The proposal would ban companies such as Appointment Trader, Dorsia and ResX from arranging reservations through their platforms if they do not have explicit contracts with restaurants. Hebert's bill is expected to become law with Gov. Jeff Landry's signature, having received unanimous approval in every committee hearing and floor vote in both chambers, Reservation trading platforms allow diners with hard-to-get table reservations to sell them online in auction-style transactions similar to eBay. Prospective buyers can also use the platforms as a concierge service, offering a flat fee to anyone who can secure them a table at a particular establishment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX While the practice of paying for restaurant reservations is more common in places such as New York and Miami, the trading platforms have come under scrutiny in Louisiana since the Illuminator reported on high-dollar trades in New Orleans during Super Bowl weekend. The transactions included a $2,138 reservation for a table of four at Antoine's. In a previous interview, Hebert said some local eateries reported confusion over complaints from diners who bought reservations without realizing the restaurants weren't the ones selling them. 'We're not talking about Chick-fil-A here,' Hebert said. 'It's a select group of restaurants they're doing this to … They're profiting off of a restaurant's brand, and the restaurants don't even know about it.' Backed by the National Restaurant Association, versions of the legislation began popping up in state capitols last year. Reached after Hebert's bill advanced Thursday, Appointment Trader founder Jonas Frey said his small business is facing seemingly insurmountable odds. Only a few years old, his startup logged more than $6 million in trades over the past 12 months. 'I'm weighing my options, but it certainly feels like a David versus Goliath situation,' Frey said. At the center of the debate is a market space currently dominated by the booking platforms OpenTable and Resy, which operate under a very different revenue model than the nascent trading platforms. OpenTable makes money by charging restaurants a fee every time someone reserves a table through its app, while the trading apps charge diners a percentage of the winning bid price for each trade. If the newer trading platforms can secure partnerships with restaurants, they would pose a serious threat to the well-established booking apps. Restaurants would no longer have to pay the third-party booking platforms whenever diners make reservations and would actually make money every time someone books through a trading platform. Frey said he offers contracts to restaurants giving them an equal share of the winning bids for every reservation. It would give dining businesses a new revenue stream from something that currently costs them money, he said. However, Louisiana lawmakers don't believe it's a viable industry and see reservation trading as an opportunistic industry that is artificially inflating demand just to cash in on wealthy tourists. Hebert and his colleagues have argued that tables would be easy and free to reserve if software bots weren't snapping them up from OpenTable and then listing them for sale on the trading apps. Frey disagreed with that assessment and said he doesn't think technology could even do that. Large booking sites have several security layers, such as requiring personal phone numbers with text message verification, in order to make a reservation. The trading apps had no lobbyists or advocates speaking on their behalf against Hebert's bill, so lawmakers have only heard one side of the argument. Hebert said his intent is not to end the practice of reservation trading but to simply give the restaurants back their right to control their own bookings. If the trading apps continue to operate in current form after the new law takes effect, they could face fines of up to $1,000 per trade. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
