Soft launches to late sittings: Six ways to get cheaper meals out

Restaurants often want to fill seats outside of peak lunch and dinner hours so opting for earlier or later sittings can be rewarded by a cheaper bill.

Apps such as First Table, which operates across 21 UK cities, as well as Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, give diners 50% off food when they book a participating restaurant’s first or last dining slot. In exchange, diners pay a small booking fee.

EatClub is another, giving walk-ins up to 50% off the whole bill at thousands of venues when they redeem an offer within its app. The biggest discounts are at off-peak times.

Shokofeh Hejazi, director of foresight and innovation at global trends agency The Food People, says earlier dining appeals because it tends to be quieter and calmer, people drink less and it allows them to get home sooner.

Meeting up for breakfast also tends to be a bit more wallet-friendly as it’s usually just one course and diners get the same catch-up time with friends and family, she adds.