I’ve built a lot of restaurant websites over the years. Some beautiful. Some… long overdue for a redesign.

And here’s the honest truth: your website (+photography) matters more than you think.

In a digital-first world, your restaurant’s website is usually the first interaction someone has with your brand. Before they taste the food. Before they see the space. Before they ask, “Where should we eat tonight?”

That’s why choosing the right website templates for restaurants isn’t just a design decision.
It’s a business one.

This guide walks you through:

What actually makes a restaurant website work
Why Squarespace is still our go-to platform
8 premium Squarespace restaurant templates worth the investment
1 genuinely solid free template

Why Your Restaurant Website Still Pulls So Much Weight

Think of your website as your virtual front door.

If it’s hard to read, slow to load, or confusing to navigate, people don’t wait around. They bounce.
If it’s clean, clear, and mouth-watering? You’ve already won half the battle.

A strong restaurant website should:

Build trust instantly
Make reservations easy
Show off your menu (not just PDFs, please)
Work beautifully on mobile

And yes, it should look good and reflect the food and vibes customers can expect.

Why We Recommend Squarespace for Restaurant Websites

I’ve worked across various platforms such as Wordpress, Wix (former 2016 Wix Webmaster over here :)), and Godaddy Website builder and I still come back to Squarespace for restaurants because it hits the sweet spot between design and function.

Here’s why it works so well:

Peace of mind (no need to update themes and plugins, Squarespace is your host and website builder all-in-one)
Drag-and-drop editing (no developer required)
Clean, modern templates that don’t feel dated
Easy integration for reservations, menus, and ordering
Mobile-responsive out of the box (huge!)

If your restaurant needs to look:

Professional
Trustworthy
Thoughtfully designed

Squarespace delivers, without overcomplicating things.

The 4 Pillars of an Effective Restaurant Website

Before we talk templates, let’s talk structure.
Every good restaurant website we’ve launched is built on these four pillars.

1. Reservations Should Be Effortless

Your “Reserve Now” button should not be hiding.

Great restaurant templates:

Put the CTA front and center
Integrate smoothly with booking tools (OpenTable, the most popular)
Work perfectly on mobile

With most diners booking same-day, friction kills conversions.

2. Your Menu Has to Shine (and Be Readable)

Your menu is the star.

The best templates:

Use clean menu blocks (not PDFs)
Support high-quality food photography
Are easy to scan on a phone

Remember: Typed out menus help with SEO. PDFs or images do not.

3. Essential Info Must Be Easy to Find

Hours. Location. Contact info.

If someone has to hunt for this, you’re already losing them.

4. Visual Storytelling Matters

Photos of:

Your space
Your food
Your people

This is where brand personality lives. Your restaurant website should support that story, not showcase stock photos of something you found on the internet.

The Best Website Templates for Restaurants (Premium + Free)

Now the good stuff.

Here are 8 Squarespace website templates for restaurants we recommend exploring for your food business.

Free Squarespace Template for Restaurants: Heron

Preview the Free Squarespace Template Heron here: https://www.squarespace.com/templates/heron-fluid-demo

Best for: New restaurants, pop-ups, food trucks, budget-conscious owners
Vibe: Clean, editorial, flexible
Why we like it: It doesn’t feel like a “free” template

Heron is one of the newest and more “premium” free Squarespace restaurant templates out there. The use of imagery will definitely highlight a photographer's work so if you have the budget, I'd say look up a local photographer that can highlight your space, people and food in the best way possible.

What makes Heron work so well is its simple, intentional layout. The homepage flows naturally and includes all the important sections - hero (w/ link to book reservations), menu, story, contact, which is exactly how diners think when deciding where to eat.

Standout features:

Strong homepage hero section for showcasing food or interior shots
Built-in menu blocks that are mobile-friendly (no PDFs required)
Plenty of white space, which makes menus easier to read
Easy to adapt for casual or elevated concepts

Heads up:
I’d personally move up the menu right after the hero section. You’ll want to customize typography and spacing a bit to make it feel more “you,” but structurally? Heron is solid.

You can preview the new Squarespace Restaurant Template Heron here: https://www.squarespace.com/templates/heron-fluid-demo

Premium Website Templates for Restaurants

These are paid templates, but they’re designed with conversion, flow, and restaurant behavior in mind, which saves you time (and frustration) later.

Crust

Best for: Chef services, Pizzerias, counter service
Vibe: Bold, modern, high-energy

Crust is built for restaurants where food visuals drive decisions. The template puts imagery front and center without overwhelming the page, which is surprisingly hard to do well.

Why Crust works:

Homepage CTA buttons are front and center
Offerings clearly structured and easy to scan
Works especially well for food businesses offering in-person cooking classes or food prep meal service.

Design strength:
Strong visual hierarchy. Your eye is guided exactly where it needs to go — menu → action → order.

Check it out here: https://www.ghostplugins.com/all/p/crust

Harvest

Best for: Casual, seasonal menus
Vibe: Calm, natural, story-driven

Harveset feels made for how people actually browse restaurant sites; quickly, on their phones, usually while hungry.v

Why Chimi converts well:

Strong mobile layout (huge win)
Clean sections that don’t feel cramped
Easy to highlight popular dishes or services

Pro tip:
Pair this template with professional photography. It really shows when visuals are strong.

Check it out here: https://www.ghostplugins.com/all/p/harvest

Chuckwagon

Screenshot of Chuchwagon Squarespace template

Best for: BBQ, Southern food, comfort food, rustic concepts
Vibe: Bold, grounded, personality-forward

Chuckwagon has character, in a good way. It’s designed for restaurants that don’t want to look generic or overly polished.

Why it works:

Strong typography choices out of the box
Great for storytelling and brand voice
Easy to highlight specialties, sauces, or catering options

Heads up:
This template leans stylized, so it’s best for restaurants that want to lean into their brand personality.

Check it out here: https://strongsites.co/templates/chuckwagon-squarespace-for-restaurants

Chimi

Best for: Fast-casual, street food, modern concepts

Chimi shines when your restaurant has a philosophy behind the food. It gives space for storytelling without distracting from reservations or menus.

What stands out:

Gorgeous image sections for ingredients, farms, or plating
Excellent flow for restaurants that change menus seasonally (see “Bowl of the Month section”
Feels premium without feeling stiff

Check it out here: https://www.stnsvn.com/chimi-squarespace-71

Felicity

Best for: Cafés, brunch spots, neighborhood favorites
Vibe: Warm, welcoming, cozy

Felicity feels like your favorite local spot; approachable, calm, and friendly.

What we love:

Soft layout that works well for coffee shops and bakeries
Balanced mix of images and text
Great space for “Our Story” and community messaging

Ideal if:
You want people to feel comfortable before they even walk in.

Check it out here: https://www.stnsvn.com/felicity-squarespace-71

Cannon Street

Best for: Breweries or neighborhood bar.
Vibe: Straightforward and minimal

Cannon Street is all about confidence. It doesn’t over-explain. It lets the visuals and structure do the talking.

Standout elements:

Beautiful spacing and easy to scan sections
Works well with minimal copy and strong photography

This template shines when you keep things simple. Less text. Better photos.

Check it out here: https://www.stnsvn.com/cannon-squarespace-71

Plate

Best for: Chef-driven menus, tasting menus, modern restaurants
Vibe: Editorial, clean, food-forward

Plate is designed to make your menu the hero, without overwhelming the page.

Why Plate stands out:

Excellent structure for multi-section menus
Strong support for high-resolution food photography
Feels modern and intentional

Great choice if:
Your food presentation is part of the experience.

Check it out here: https://www.ghostplugins.com/paper-templates/p/plate

Heròn (Paid)

Screenshot of Premium (Paid) Squarespace Restaurant Template Heron

(Not the free Heron template mentioned earlier)

Best for: Tapas bars, cocktail lounges, wine bars, intimate dining experiences
Vibe: Moody, elegant, after-dark sophistication

While researching this blog post, I came across Heròn, a premium Squarespace 7.1 restaurant template designed specifically for restaurants that shine after dark.

Heròn is built to capture atmosphere.

It leans into rich color palettes and moody design elements that immediately set the tone, perfect for restaurants where ambiance matters just as much as the menu. Think candlelight, cocktails, late-night reservations, and an experience you want people to feel before they arrive.

Why Heròn stands out

After-dark, elegant design aesthetic ideal for nightlife-focused restaurants
Five unique page layouts, all fully customizable
Strong foundation for storytelling, menus, and reservation-driven sites

Check it out here: https://www.janeldamiani.com/squarespace-templates/heron

Premium vs Free Templates: Is It Worth It?

Short answer? Often, yes.

Premium restaurant templates usually offer:

Better homepage layouts for conversions
More intentional menu sections
Built-in structure that saves you time

You’re not just paying for design.
You’re paying for decisions already made correctly.

How to Turn a Template Into a Reservation Machine

A template is just the foundation. Here’s how we make it work harder.

Optimize Your Homepage

Answer these immediately:

Who are you?
What kind of food do you serve?
What should I do next?

Hero image + short value prop + “Reserve a Table” or “Order Online” button. Above the fold.

Use Real Menu Pages

Use Squarespace’s Menu Block.
Break sections clearly.
Skip PDFs.

Build Trust

Add:

Reviews
Press quotes (or “featured in”) - a simple google search of your restaurant can be helpful!
Testimonials

Social proof matters.

Note: If you’ve been featured by local influencers be sure to include your call to action not just on your website but also on your social media profiles, ie. make sure that link in bio is working!

Don’t Skip Local SEO

If you want locals to find you:

Use your city + neighborhood in page titles
Make sure your address and hours match everywhere
Connect your site to Google Business Profile

Templates don’t replace strategy. They support it.

Final Thoughts: Your Website Is Part of the Hospitality

Your Squarespace website shouldn’t just look nice.
It should do its job.

The right website templates for restaurants:

Make reservations easy
Show off your food beautifully
Set expectations before guests arrive

Whether you start with Heron or invest in a premium option, choose a template that works for your business, not against it.

And if you ever feel stuck staring at a blank homepage wondering why it’s not converting…
Yeah. We’ve been there too.

So reach out and book a free discovery call if you get stuck.

Best Website Templates for Restaurants on Squarespace (8 Premium Picks + 1 Free Favorite)

Why Your Restaurant Website Still Pulls So Much Weight

Why We Recommend Squarespace for Restaurant Websites