TLDR
- To reply to a Google review, sign in to your verified Google Business Profile, open your reviews and choose Reply. Google checks each reply before it goes live, usually within 10 minutes.
- In booteek's analysis of 10,983 owner replies at 586 UK restaurants and bars (measured September 2026), the median reply went up 37.5 hours after the review.
- Use a template for the shape of the reply. Then rewrite the one line that repeats what the guest actually said.
- booteek's Chrome extension drafts each reply to three rules (listen, empathise, invite back), and it never posts anything for you.
There's no UK survey of what diners think of templated replies. We looked. What we can measure is how often UK venues paste them, and that's further down.
Take a bar that has a big weekend and fourteen new Google reviews by Monday morning. The owner has twenty minutes before the delivery arrives, so the same "Thanks so much for your feedback, hope to see you again soon!" goes under all fourteen. Every guest who scrolls the profile after that sees one sentence repeated fourteen times, and reads it for what it is.
So the question restaurant and bar owners type into Google is a practical one: how do you reply to Google reviews at all, and what do you say? This guide covers the mechanics, the rules Google and Tripadvisor set, how fast UK owners really reply, and seven templates written to be changed before they are posted.
How does booteek's Chrome extension draft a reply?
booteek's Chrome extension drafts a reply on the review in front of you, on Google Business Profile, Tripadvisor and other review platforms. Every draft is written to three rules, the same three the templates below are built on.
- Listen. Name one thing the guest actually wrote: the dish, the drink, the person, the occasion or the problem.
- Empathise. Say how they felt, in words that fit that review, before saying anything about the venue.
- Invite back. End on a reason to return, built from what they wrote. Never a stock "hope to see you again soon".
We chose those three because they're what a pasted reply can't do. In our sample of UK restaurants and bars, at least 13.5% of owner replies were word-for-word repeats of a reply the venue had already posted to someone else (measured September 2026, more on that below).
Signed in, you choose what the draft leads with: the whole visit, the food or the service. If the guest's real complaint is about something else, the draft still deals with it in a line (a reply that ignores the actual problem fails rule one). The free version gives one draft without that choice.
It only ever drafts. It never posts for you, it won't offer a free drink or meal in public, because Tripadvisor removes replies that offer gifts, and it won't invent a dish or an event the review didn't mention. What it costs is on the pricing page.
How do you reply to Google reviews as a restaurant or bar owner?
You reply from your Google Business Profile, and only once the business is verified. Open the profile on Google Search or Maps, go to your reviews, pick the review and choose Reply. Google checks every reply against its content policies first. It says replies usually take up to 10 minutes to check, and some can take up to 30 days.
The steps, from Google's own help page on managing reviews:
- Sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile. Google says you must verify the business before you can reply.
- Open the profile and go to your reviews.
- Find the review and select Reply.
- Write the reply and post it. The guest is notified, and the reply appears under their review as your business, without your personal name.
- To change it later, select Edit under your reply. You can delete it the same way.
One detail changes how you should write. The guest can still change their review after reading your reply, and Google puts the new date on it. Google's own guidance says "a positive reply and follow-up can show that you care and may encourage them to update their review."
Tripadvisor works differently. Its guide to management responses sets no character limit but asks you to be concise. Most responses are reviewed and posted within a few business days, and you can't edit one. You delete it and resubmit.
That makes a typo on Tripadvisor a few days' delay. Write the reply somewhere else first, read it once, then paste it in. Tripadvisor says owners replied to more than 11.3 million reviews in 2024 (Tripadvisor Transparency Report 2025).
How fast do UK restaurant and bar owners reply to Google reviews?
In our sample, the median owner reply went up about a day and a half after the review. In booteek's analysis of 10,983 owner replies to Google reviews at 586 UK restaurants and bars (measured September 2026), the median gap was 37.5 hours. 41% of those replies went up within 24 hours.
Google sets no number of its own. Its advice is to "respond in a timely manner", because it "shows that you value your customer's feedback and experiences."
Read the study for what it is. It covers a sample of each venue's reviews, not every review, and Manchester venues make up most of it. It times the replies that exist and says nothing about venues that never reply. And it can't tell you whether a faster reply brings in more bookings. For the split by star rating, and between bars and restaurants, see how fast restaurants and bars reply to Google reviews.
What does Google say a good review reply looks like?
Google's reply guidance is short: keep it short and simple, stay polite, never share the reviewer's private details, don't use the reply to sell, sign it with your name or initials, and respond in a timely manner. Tripadvisor adds hard rules, and breaking them gets a response removed.
| Rule | Google says | Tripadvisor says |
|---|---|---|
| Length | "Keep it short and simple" | No character limit, "but be concise" |
| Selling | "There's no need to offer deals or promotions" | Responses offering "gifts, services, or money" are removed |
| Privacy | "Never share the reviewer's private info" | "No speculation as to the identity of the reviewer" |
| Checks | Usually up to 10 minutes before a reply goes live | Most posted "within a few business days" |
| Editing | Edit or delete your reply | No editing. Delete and resubmit |
| Accusations | "Do not attack them personally" | "No accusations of review fraud" |
Sources: Google's tips for review replies and Tripadvisor's Management Response Guidelines.
Two lines on Google's page are worth knowing. It says "you don't need to thank every reviewer publicly." And it never says that replying lifts your ranking. It says replies show customers you value their feedback.
Guests notice how you treat the unhappy ones. In February 2025 Trustpilot surveyed 2,000 UK consumers, and 83% said they were more likely to trust a business that engages with dissatisfied customers on a review platform and offers a solution. Trustpilot runs a review platform itself, and the survey covered every kind of business, not just restaurants and bars. booteek's recommendation is to reply to every review and keep the good ones to two lines. It costs a minute each, and the next guest reads the whole page.
How do you make a review reply template sound human?
Change one line in every reply: the line that repeats what the guest named. If they named the lamb shoulder, the reply names the lamb shoulder. If they came in for a fortieth birthday, the reply mentions the birthday. The rest of the template can stay as it is.
Pasted replies are common. In our sample of 15,709 owner replies at 718 UK restaurants and bars, at least 13.5% repeated, word for word, a reply the same venue had posted to a different reviewer (measured September 2026). That is a floor from a sample, not a census: a repeat only shows when both reviews were captured, so the true share is higher. The median owner reply was 31 words long (measured September 2026). Thirty-one words still leaves room for one line that is yours.
Some SEO advice tells owners to put the cuisine and the city into every reply. Don't. Compare two replies to the same hypothetical review:
Thanks for visiting the best tapas bar in Manchester for authentic Spanish tapas in Manchester!
Thanks for coming in for Sofia's birthday. The croquetas are Marco's recipe, and he was pleased you ordered a second plate.
The first is written for a search engine, and Tripadvisor's guidelines ask for no "commercial or promotional content of any kind." Google's version is "be a friend, not a salesperson." The second tells the next reader everything the first tried to, and it could only have been written by someone who was paying attention.
Then sign it. Google's advice is to "sign your reply with your name or initials", because a named person reads as a real reply. A first name and a role ("Ana, general manager") is enough.
Which seven review reply templates cover the reviews a restaurant or bar gets?
These seven cover the reviews that each need a different kind of reply: a good review, a mixed one, a bad one, a star rating with no text, praise for a named member of staff, a complaint that gets the facts wrong, and a review you suspect is fake. Each has slots in square brackets, and each follows the same three rules: listen, empathise, invite back. Fill every slot before you post.
1. The good review
Thank you, [first name], for coming in for [the occasion they named].
[The dish or drink they named] is [one true detail about it: who makes it, where it comes from].
[One reason to come back, tied to what they wrote: "It's on until the end of the month."]
[Your name], [your role]
Make it specific: repeat the dish or the occasion in the guest's own words. Don't add a second dish they never mentioned to sell it.
2. The mixed review
Thank you for the honest review, [first name]. Glad [the thing they liked] worked for you.
You're right about [the problem, in their words].
[What has changed since, stated as a fact: "We now have a second bartender on from 8pm on Fridays."]
[An invitation to see the change: "Come back on a Friday and judge it for yourself."]
[Your name]
Make it specific: answer the complaint in the words the guest used. If nothing has changed yet, say what you're checking. Never claim a fix that hasn't happened.
3. The bad review
[First name], I'm sorry about [the specific failure, in their words].
[What you have checked: "I've spoken to the team who were on that night."]
[The one change you've made, if there is one.]
I'd like to hear the rest. Please contact me at [email or phone] and ask for [your name].
[Once it's put right, a reason to come back: "I'd like the chance to serve you that lamb hot."]
Make it specific: apologise once and say what you checked with the team. Check your records too, as Google suggests, but keep what you find out of the reply. Keep the argument about details out of public view. And don't offer a refund or a free meal in exchange for a changed review. The CMA's fake reviews guidance gives that as an example of what's prohibited. There's more on the hardest case in responding to 1-star reviews.
4. The star rating with no text
Thank you for the rating, [first name, if Google shows it].
[For four or five stars: one new detail about the venue, such as a menu change or a new opening day.]
[For one to three stars: "We'd like to know what we could do better. Please message [your name] at [email]."]
Make it specific: there's nothing to repeat, so the specific line is the fact you add. Google's page suggests sharing "new details or facts about your business that they might not know from their first visit." Two lines is plenty.
5. Praise for a named member of staff
Thank you for mentioning [staff first name], [guest first name].
[What the guest said they did, in the guest's words: "talking you through the natural wines".]
[Staff first name] has seen this. [One true detail: "She put this season's wine list together."]
[A reason to come back for them: "She's on most Thursdays if you'd like the next bottle chosen for you."]
Make it specific: repeat what the guest said the person did, not a general "our amazing team". Use a first name only when the guest used it. booteek's advice is to ask the team member before naming them anywhere else, because a reply stays public.
6. The complaint that gets the facts wrong
Thank you for writing, [first name], and I'm sorry the evening didn't work for you.
One correction for anyone reading: [the fact, stated once and neutrally: "our kitchen serves until 10pm on Sundays"].
[If there's a reason they got it wrong: "Our Google hours showed the old time, and we've fixed that."]
If I've misunderstood what happened, please contact me at [email].
[A reason to give it another go: "Come on a Sunday and the kitchen will be open until 10."]
Make it specific: correct the one fact that would mislead the next reader and leave the rest. Google's guidance is to "admit mistakes that were made, but don't take responsibility for things outside your control." And the CMA is clear that a review isn't fake just because you disagree with it.
7. The review you suspect is fake
Thank you for the review.
We'd like to understand what happened.
Please email me at [email] with the date of your visit so I can look into it.
[Your name], [your role]
Make it specific: check your records, as Google suggests, but keep what you find out of the reply. Never call the review fake, and never write that you have no record of the visit. Both read as an accusation, and Tripadvisor removes responses that accuse a reviewer of fraud. Report it separately. Google removes a reported review only if it breaks Google's policies, and says evaluation "typically takes several days." Since 6 April 2025, UK law has banned businesses that write, buy or commission fake reviews. The full route is in what to do about a fake review.
What should each type of review reply do, and what should it never do?
Each reply does one job for the next reader, and each has one move that undoes it. This table is the checklist to run before you press Reply.
| Review type | The reply must | The reply must never |
|---|---|---|
| Good review | Repeat the dish, drink or occasion the guest named | Paste the same thank-you under every review |
| Mixed review | Answer the complaint in the guest's words | Claim a fix you haven't made |
| Bad review | Apologise once and give a route offline | Argue the details in public |
| Stars, no text | Add one new fact, or invite contact | Guess what the guest meant |
| Named staff praise | Say what the guest said the person did | Name staff the guest didn't name |
| Wrong on the facts | Correct one fact, neutrally | Call the guest a liar |
| Suspected fake | Invite contact, then report it | Accuse the reviewer of fraud |
Two rules apply to all seven. Never offer anything in return for a review or for changing one, since Google bans offering "payment, discounts, free of cost goods and/or services" for either. And never share a guest's private details, even when you know exactly who they are.
Can AI write your Google review replies for you?
Yes, as a draft. None of Google's help pages we read forbids an AI-drafted reply, and none endorses one. What a model can't know is what happened on Friday night, so the specific line in every template above is still yours to write.
A machine draft posted unchanged is a template by another name, and in our UK sample at least 13.5% of owner replies were already word-for-word repeats.
That split is what booteek's Chrome extension is built around, as set out above: it drafts to the three rules, and you add what only you know (who served table six, for a start) before you copy it into Google yourself.
The next step is one review. Open your reviews on your Google Business Profile tonight, find the oldest one you haven't answered, pick its template from the seven above, and fill the one line that names what the guest named.
Where do these figures come from?
- booteek reply-time study (booteek, measured September 2026) — the median reply time and the share of replies within 24 hours. The sample is 10,983 timed owner replies at 586 UK restaurants and bars, taken from 44,910 reviews in scope. The reviews were posted between 1 January 2025 and 19 September 2026 and captured between 6 January and 27 September 2026. The data is Google reviews held in booteek's review data for UK restaurants and bars. It is a sample, not a census: we hold a share of each venue's reviews, never every review, and the sample is Manchester-heavy. It times the replies that exist, says nothing about venues that never reply, and cannot tell you whether a faster reply brings in more bookings.
- booteek repeated-reply study (booteek, measured September 2026) — the share of replies repeated word for word, and the median reply length of 31 words. The sample is 15,709 owner replies at 718 UK restaurants and bars, on reviews captured between 6 January and 27 September 2026, whatever their posting date. The data is Google reviews held in booteek's review data for UK restaurants and bars. A reply counts as a repeat only when the same venue posted the same words to a different reviewer. The figure is a floor: a repeat shows only when both reviews were captured, so the true share is higher. It is a sample, not a census, the sample is Manchester-heavy, and it does not show that a repeat harms the venue or that software wrote the reply.
- Businesses say online reviews vital to boosting growth in UK economy (Trustpilot, 5 February 2025) — 83% of consumers more likely to trust a business that engages with dissatisfied customers on a review platform and offers a solution. 2,000 UK consumers and over 600 UK small businesses, all kinds of business; the research agency and field dates are not published, and Trustpilot runs a review platform. Trustpilot research
- Manage customer reviews (Google Business Profile Help, live page read 28 September 2026) — the steps to reply, the need to verify the business first, reply checks of usually up to 10 minutes and sometimes up to 30 days, and editing or deleting a reply. Google: manage customer reviews
- Tips to write better review replies (Google Business Profile Help, live page read 28 September 2026) — keep it short and simple, no deals or promotions, never share private details or attack the reviewer, sign with a name or initials, respond in a timely manner, share new details, admit mistakes, check your records about the reviewer and their visit, no need to thank every reviewer, and that a follow-up may lead a guest to update a review. Google: review reply tips
- Report inappropriate reviews (Google Business Profile Help, live page read 28 September 2026) — only reviews that break Google's policies are removed, and evaluation typically takes several days. Google: report a review
- Maps user contributed content policy (Google, live page read 28 September 2026) — the ban on offering payment, discounts or free goods or services for a review. Google: prohibited and restricted content
- How to add management responses (Tripadvisor, live page read 28 September 2026) — no character limit but be concise, most responses posted within a few business days, and no editing once posted. Tripadvisor guide to management responses
- Management Responses Guidelines (Tripadvisor, live page read 28 September 2026) — responses are removed if they offer gifts, services or money, speculate about the reviewer's identity, accuse the reviewer of fraud or carry commercial or promotional content. Tripadvisor response guidelines
- Transparency Report 2025 (Tripadvisor, 18 March 2025) — owners replied to more than 11.3 million reviews in 2024. Tripadvisor's own global figure, all categories. Tripadvisor Transparency Report 2025
- Fake reviews guidance, CMA208 (Competition and Markets Authority, 4 April 2025) — offering a refund or gift card for a changed review is prohibited, and a review is not fake because the business disagrees with it. UK guidance. CMA fake reviews guidance
- Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, Schedule 20 (UK Parliament, in force from 6 April 2025 under S.I. 2025/272) — the UK ban on businesses that write, buy or commission fake reviews. DMCC Act 2024, Schedule 20 · Commencement regulations