UK’s top 14 restaurant Instagram accounts to inspire yours

It’s no secret. Instagram is where the action is. 

How many times have you heard about the importance of social media marketing? Probably enough to make your head spin. With that in mind, let’s take things a step further and see what quality social media posts actually look like.

Restaurants with the best social media strategy in the UK 

There are over 53 million active social media users in the UK (77.9% of the population). That includes your guests. 

With over 110 minutes a day spent on social media, if you’re not putting in the effort to engage with these future (and existing customers), you’re missing out. 

Let’s take a trip and see which restaurants are doing it right and how you can steal a few ideas for your account.  

Glenturret Lalique Restaurant

@theglenturretlalique

If you’ve been to The Glenturret, you know how visually rich Scotland’s oldest working whisky distillery is. If you haven’t been, Glenturret Lalique Restaurant’s Instagram account gives you a glimpse into why the restaurant is worthy of its Michelin star.

Combining close-up images of the team in action with posts celebrating staff accompaniments, the Lalique Restaurant shows how to brand your restaurant without losing the attention to detail that makes you special.

How to replicate

It takes a lot of discipline to do what the Lalique Restaurant does without coming across as unreachable. Notice that most photos have an actual person in them. That human connection is something your audience will appreciate.

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L’Enclume

@lenclume

One of the most essential parts of any restaurant is the team. Instagram is a great place to showcase and celebrate yours. 

That’s exactly what L’Enclume does. They focus on creating content about their employees in combination with incredible photos of their menu and the gorgeous area of Cartmel where they’re located.

To us, it’s a perfect plan because it shows the human faces behind their Michelin-starred success and the food that keeps guests coming back.

How to replicate

It’s the balance that keeps you scrolling through L’Enclume’s Instagram page. The balance between drool-worthy dishes, serene nature and smiling faces. The trick is to treat all of your photographs with the same care. Don’t use a harsh flash for one photo and soft natural light on the next. Find what you think looks good, test a few photos on your feed, and then stick to that. 

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Coast Saundersfoot

@coastsaundersfoot

Overlooking stunning Saundersfoot Bay, Coast lets its followers take a peek behind-the-scenes. While the menu photography is delicious, it’s the views of the Pembrokeshire coast, the highlighted guest pics and cocktails, and the seaside colour scheme that entice followers to click the like button. 

How to replicate

The first thing you’ll notice in Coast Saundersfoot’s grid is the colour scheme. They’ve stuck to their brand. Think about the colours that you use in your restaurant – carry that over to your Instagram feed so guests instantly recognise your brand. 

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Hare & Hounds

@hareandhounds_aberthin

With a Michelin Bib Gourmand under its name, you’d probably expect Hare & Hounds in Aberthin to be fussy. But you’d be wrong. They’ve kept their Instagram just as welcoming as the pub itself. Inviting images of homemade Seville Orange Rosé and rhubarb gin make you feel like a regular even before booking a table. 

How to replicate

Hare & Hounds is the perfect example of doing you. Don’t try to be something that you’re not. If you’re a pub that focuses on good value and good food, let your followers feel that in what you post. Honesty works. Your audience will see it and get it every time.

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Six by Nico

@sixbynico

Stunning photography with a signature look. That’s what makes Six by Nico’s Instagram a feast for the eyes. With more than 69,000 followers, visitors get to experience the same new tasting menu every 6 weeks that actual guests get to enjoy. And since each 6-course menu is themed upon a different place and memory, followers are in for a constantly changing experience as they scroll. 

How to replicate

Six by Nico’s Instagram is another example of doing what is true to you. Honesty. There’s that word again. Keeping a consistent look and feel is difficult since they change themes every 6 weeks. Yet they’ve pulled it off by having a style for each theme. Notice how the menu is displayed on grey dishes for one theme and red for the next. It takes a little planning, but the end result is stunning.

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The Oyster Club Bar & Grill

@the_oysterclub

One of Birmingham’s most-visited restaurant Instagram accounts, The Oyster Club Bar & Grill posts pictures that would make even the strictest dieter book a table.

670 Grams

@670grams

Modern. Eclectic. An end to the stuffiness of fine dining. What 670 Grams is doing for Burm’s restaurant scene, they match pace for pace on Instagram.

Carters of Moseley

@cartersofmoseley

We’ll forgive you if you click over to Carters of Moseley’s Instagram and forget to come back. With more than 19,000 followers, they’re setting the standard for restaurant photography on social media.

Restaurant Martin Wishart

@martin_wishart

Twenty one years of Michelin-starred recognition can’t be wrong. Neither can the relaxed, inviting images showcasing the finest Scottish ingredients prepared with classic French techniques.

KONG

@kong_glasgow

Admit it. You can almost hear the DJ when you scroll through KONG’s feed. From rich images drenched in purple hues to ice cold cocktails served with style, it’s easy to see why Glasgow’s nightlife scene is taking off. And why KONG is setting the beat. 

Luca

@luca.restaurant

Do you like food photography? Nature? Gorgeous interior design? Food porn? Whatever you want, Luca’s Instagram account provides it. In spades. 

The Bull & Bear

@bullandbearmcr

British comfort food never looked this good. Mouthwatering photos grace The Bull & Bear’s Instagram page. And for the followers who love to watch sweet honey drizzled over cheese or salted chocolate sauce poured slowly over a choux bun, you’re in luck. 

Moor Hall Restaurant

@restaurantmoorhall

From stunning landscapes and signature dishes to behind-the-scenes photos of trees getting planted, Moor Hall Restaurant never disappoints its 30K+ followers. 

Restaurant Pine

@restaurantpine

There’s nothing like knowing exactly where your food comes from. Restaurant Pine’s Instagram page puts its hyper-local produce on full display along with quiet images that celebrate the nature of Northumberland. 

Now it’s your turn…

From a pub on the corner to a Michelin-starred restaurant, your guests are using Instagram. It’s always worth taking the time to study other brands’ strategies and see what you can learn. 

With a massive 1 billion active users, Instagram is the marketing tool you can’t forget. And it’s free. Need we say more?

Any restaurant, bar or cafe has the potential to be successful in marketing themselves online. Give yourself some time to research and test what works best for you.

The key is to keep it simple and let your content do the work for you. 

If you use crisp, clean photos and videos, you’ll entice followers to your channel, and ultimately to your actual venue. With Superb, you can make it easy for guests to book a table directly from your profile. Click here to read more about shareable reservations links. 

Don’t forget the power of UGC (user-generated content). All of those people who spend more time photographing their food than eating it… that’s golden content that you can use to increase engagement and show off how brilliant your place is. 

While the Instagram algorithm changes often, the basics are the same – consistency, community, creativity. Stick to these, and you’ll win an audience. 

Not sure what that means? We’ve laid out our top 10 content ideas for social media here. And all of the tools to make every photo and post look its best here.