Comparison

First Table vs Good Food Guide

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

First Table

Discover and book the first table of the night at top restaurants to receive 50% off your food bill. Explore new dining venues and save money on meals across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

Highlights
  • 50% off food bill
  • Book first table of the night
  • Discover new restaurants
  • Save money on dining
  • Browse 3,000+ restaurants
  • Support local venues
Features
Read full description

Enjoy exceptional dining with 50% off food. First Table rewards you for booking the first table of the night at incredible restaurants near you. Discover new favourites and save every time you dine. With First Table, food lovers get 50% off their food bill when they book the first table of the evening, the perfect way to explore new restaurants and enjoy your favourites, all at a fraction of the price. Discover over 4,500 incredible restaurants across the UK, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. Whether you're after a midweek meal or a memorable night out, First Table helps you dine smarter. How it works: • Browse top-rated restaurants in your area • Book the first table of the night, lock in with a booking fee • Enjoy 50% off the food bill for up to 6 diners Why diners love First Table: • Save money while eating out more • Explore new cuisines and venues • Support local restaurants • Easy, seamless booking experience Discover new restaurants in your own backyard, and get an extra perk for dining off-peak. How does First Table work? Participating restaurants list their first tables for breakfast, lunch or dinner on First Table, showing up to fourteen days of availability on our platform. Diners are then rewarded with 50% off the food bill for dining at an off-peak time. To secure 50% off the food bill, select your city and search through the available restaurants near you. Then select your date and time and lock in your First Table for a booking fee. What’s in it for the restaurant? Restaurants choose to join at their own discretion, to help fill empty tables and to create a buzz early into their service. That means what while you’re tucking into a sunny brunch or an elevated dinner for half the price, you're also helping restaurants start service strong. Discover new restaurants! Browse nearby restaurants to discover a hidden gem in your own backyard or lock in top-rated restaurants you’ve always wanted to try. Craving a particular meal? Restaurants are also searchable by restaurant name or cuisine. What’s the catch? There isn’t one - that’s the best part! First Table is a win-win for restaurants and diners alike. Restaurants get early customers through the door and diners get rewarded for dining at times that restaurants need them most. By dining on First Table, you'll not only have a great excuse to connect with mates, dates and fellow foodies, but you'll also be supporting hospitality venues by dining at the times that they need you the most. Have friends you’d love to dine with? You can even earn credit by sharing First Table with other foodies! Just grab your promo code from your profile, and you’ll both get your next restaurant booking fee half price.

About

Good Food Guide

Discover the best dining establishments across Great Britain with this comprehensive guide. Browse, search, and filter restaurants, pubs, and cafes based on cuisine, price, and rating. Save your favorites and share your dining experiences.

Highlights
  • Browse by map or list view
  • Search all entries
  • Filter by cuisine, price, and rating
  • Star favorite entries
  • Submit reviews
Features
Read full description

Founded in 1951, The Good Food Guide is the longest-standing and best-selling guide for where to eat in Great Britain. The essential companion to any discerning diner, the Guide features the best restaurants, pubs, cafés and other dining establishments, each rated Good, Very Good, Exceptional or World Class. Our network of Good Food Guide Club members share on-the-ground feedback which informs inspections from our team of 30+ anonymous industry experts. To ensure the utmost objectivity, all inspections are paid for in full by the Guide. We have never, nor will ever, accept free meals in exchange for reviews. *** To keep pace with the dynamic nature of hospitality, The Good Food Guide is now published in app format - an essential, up-to-date guide that’s always in your pocket. • Browse in map or list view • Search all entries • Filter by cuisine, price point and rating to find exactly what you need • Star entries to create your personal favourites list • Submit a review after your visit

Screenshots

First Table4 screens
Good Food Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: First Table at 92% against Good Food Guide's 17%. First Table also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.0) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). Good Food Guide's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

First Table holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Table has 101 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of First Table's written reviews are positive against 17% of Good Food Guide's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

First Table ships an update fortnightly, Good Food Guide every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
First Table versus Good Food Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst TableGood Food Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (101 ratings) — better3.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews91.5% of reviews — better16.7% of reviews
Number of ratings101 — better4
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size135 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperfirsttablePostgate 51 Limited

Customer experience

First Table

All ratings101 ratings
Positive97.0%
Neutral2.0%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews825 reviews
Positive91.5%
Neutral2.4%
Negative6.1%

Good Food Guide

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral5.6%
Negative77.8%

Bugs and requests

First Table

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login and booking issues
  • Crashes and freezes when navigating the app
  • Inconsistent application of discounts

Requested features

5 requests
  • Favorite/saved restaurants feature
  • More flexible dining time options
  • Improved app performance and stability
  • Expanded restaurant selection
  • Clearer display of deal conditions

Good Food Guide

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

First Table

No in-app purchases

None

Good Food Guide

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is First Table free?
First Table is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Good Food Guide free?
Good Food Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, First Table or Good Food Guide?
First Table is rated higher. First Table averages 4.9 out of 5 from 101 ratings, while Good Food Guide averages 3.0 from 4 ratings.
Do First Table or Good Food Guide have ads?
First Table shows ads; Good Food Guide does not.
Which is updated more often, First Table or Good Food Guide?
First Table ships an update fortnightly, and Good Food Guide every 4 months. Most recently, First Table was updated on October 18, 2026 and Good Food Guide on October 6, 2026.

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