Google review reply examples for restaurants: 24 templates you can copy

Updated 4 November 2026

Here are 24 reply templates for the reviews restaurants get most often. Copy one, then make it yours: swap in the guest's name, mention something specific from their review, and sign off as a real person. A reply that names the dish they loved always beats a generic thank-you.

Words in [square brackets] are for you to fill in. Every template follows a few simple rules: no discounts or freebies, no blaming staff, no arguing, and anything about allergies, illness or legal matters goes offline.

5-star reviews

Short and warm

Thank you so much, [name]! We're delighted you enjoyed your evening, and we hope to see you again soon. [Your name], [role]

When they mention a dish

Thank you, [name]! The [dish] is one of our favourites too, so it's lovely to hear it hit the spot. We'll pass your kind words on to the kitchen. [Your name], [role]

When they praise the team

Thank you for such a kind review, [name]. We'll make sure the whole team sees this, because it means a lot to them. We look forward to welcoming you back. [Your name], [role]

A special occasion

Thank you, [name], and we're so glad we could be part of your [birthday / anniversary / celebration]. It was a pleasure to have you with us. [Your name], [role]

First visit

Thank you for giving us a try, [name]! We're really pleased your first visit went so well, and we hope it's the first of many. [Your name], [role]

Regular guest

Thank you, [name]! It's always good to see you, and we really appreciate you taking the time to write this. See you next time. [Your name], [role]

4-star reviews

Happy, with no complaint

Thank you for the lovely review, [name]. We're glad you enjoyed [the food / your evening], and we hope to see you again soon. [Your name], [role]

Happy, with one small niggle

Thank you, [name]. We're so glad you enjoyed the [dish], and thanks for the honest note about [the wait / the noise]. We've passed it on and we're looking at it. [Your name], [role]

When they say what would make it 5 stars

Thank you for the helpful feedback, [name]. It's good to hear what we're getting right, and we've taken your suggestion about [their suggestion] on board. [Your name], [role]

Busy night

Thank you, [name]. We're glad you enjoyed it, even on one of our busiest nights. Sorry things were a bit slower than usual, and we hope to see you on a quieter evening soon. [Your name], [role]

3-star and mixed reviews

Good food, slow service

Thank you for your feedback, [name]. We're glad you enjoyed the food, but we're sorry you were kept waiting. We're looking at how we pace things at busy times, and we hope you'll give us another try. [Your name], [role]

Nice place, food let them down

Thanks for taking the time to write this, [name]. We're glad you liked the room, but sorry the [dish] wasn't up to scratch. We've shared your comments with the kitchen. [Your name], [role]

Value for money

Thank you for the honest review, [name]. We're sorry it didn't feel like good value on this visit. We've passed your thoughts on, and if you'd like to tell us more, please get in touch at [your email or phone]. [Your name], [role]

"It was fine"

Thank you for coming in, [name]. We'd love to know what would have made your visit even better, so please drop us a line at [your email or phone] if you have a moment. [Your name], [role]

1-star and 2-star reviews

Long wait

Thank you for letting us know, [name], and we're sorry you waited so long. That's not good enough, and we're looking at how we run busy services. Please get in touch at [your email or phone] if you'd like to talk it through. [Your name], [role]

Cold or poor food

We're sorry, [name]. Your food should have arrived hot and as described, and it didn't. We've shared this with the kitchen. We'd like to hear more, so please contact us at [your email or phone]. [Your name], [role]

Unhappy with service

Thank you for telling us, [name]. We're sorry you didn't feel well looked after, because everyone should feel welcome here. We've talked it through with the team. Please get in touch at [your email or phone] so we can hear more. [Your name], [role]

Cleanliness

Thank you for raising this, [name], and we're sorry. We've looked into it straight away and we're checking our cleaning routines. Please contact us at [your email or phone] if you'd like to tell us more. [Your name], [role]

Booking or order mix-up

We're sorry about the mix-up with your [booking / order], [name]. That's frustrating, and we'd like to understand what went wrong. Please get in touch at [your email or phone]. [Your name], [role]

When you can't place the visit

Thank you for your review, [name]. We're sorry to hear this, and we'd really like to understand what happened. We couldn't match the details to a visit, so please contact us at [your email or phone] and we'll look into it. [Your name], [role]

Sensitive reviews: take these offline

Allergy or dietary reaction

Thank you for letting us know, [name]. We're very sorry, and we take anything like this seriously. Please contact us directly at [your email or phone] so we can look into it properly. [Your name], [role]

Feeling unwell after a visit

We're so sorry to hear you were unwell, [name]. We'd like to look into this carefully, so please get in touch at [your email or phone] and we'll make sure the right person picks it up. [Your name], [role]

Mentions a complaint, solicitor or the council

Thank you for your review, [name]. We're sorry to read this. As it's something we want to handle properly, please contact us directly at [your email or phone]. [Your name], [role]

Star rating with no text

Rating only

Thank you for the rating, [name]! If you ever want to tell us more about your visit, we'd love to hear it. [Your name], [role]

Make templates sound like you

  • Use their name and mention one real detail from the review.
  • Keep it short. Google's own tips say long replies can overwhelm people (source).
  • Don't paste the same reply under every review. People notice.
  • Sign it from a real person, such as the owner or head chef.
  • Never offer a discount or freebie in a reply, and never offer anything in exchange for a review being changed or removed. Google treats that as fake engagement (source).

For a reply tailored to one review, try our free review reply generator. For the thinking behind the tricky ones, read how to reply to a bad Google review.

Sources

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