Comparison

First Table vs Food Fellows

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

Food Fellows

Earn loyalty points and get free drinks at over 20 campus food outlets. Scan the app at checkout to collect points and redeem them for rewards. Turn on notifications for exclusive deals and discounts.

Highlights
  • Collect loyalty points
  • Redeem points for rewards
  • Free hot drink after nine purchases
  • Exclusive deals and discounts
  • Scan app at checkout
  • Notifications for offers
Features
Read full description

Get the most out of mealtimes at University of Birmingham with the Food Fellows app. From barista-made coffee to a sit-down meal with friends, you’ll collect loyalty points every time you spend at any of our 20+ Food Fellows outlets on campus and at The Exchange Café. Simply scan the app at the till to start earning. You’ll be able to redeem your accumulated points at any of our outlets. When you buy your ninth drink, you’ll get a hot drink for free. And – if you turn notifications on – you’ll be first to hear about exclusive deals and discounts. Food Fellows is the University of Birmingham’s Food, Beverage and Retail operation, which has over 20 outlets across campus and one in the city centre at The Exchange. We strive to ensure menus are sustainable, authentic and inclusive. The Food Fellows app is safe and secure. If you have any issues please contact the team: foodfellows@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Screenshots

First Table4 screens
Food Fellows3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: First Table at 92% against Food Fellows's 40%. First Table also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). Food Fellows's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price and in-app purchases 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

First Table ships an update fortnightly, Food Fellows every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
First Table versus Food Fellows: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst TableFood Fellows
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (102 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews91.5% of reviews — better40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings102 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.411.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size135 MB98 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperfirsttableUniversity of Birmingham

Customer experience

First Table

All ratings102 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral2.0%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews825 reviews
Positive91.5%
Neutral2.4%
Negative6.1%

Food Fellows

Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

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

Food Fellows

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

First Table

No in-app purchases

None

Food Fellows

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is First Table free?
First Table is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Food Fellows free?
Food Fellows is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do First Table or Food Fellows have ads?
First Table shows ads; Food Fellows does not.
Which is updated more often, First Table or Food Fellows?
First Table ships an update fortnightly, and Food Fellows every 5 months. Most recently, First Table was updated on October 21, 2026 and Food Fellows on October 18, 2026.

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