Booking's OpenTable launches AI assistant for restaurant recommendations

OpenTable launched Concierge, a generative artificial intelligence assistant that provides diners with information about restaurants on its platform. The feature covers more than 60,000 restaurants in the OpenTable network.

The AI assistant helps diners with restaurant directions, menu suggestions, and information about dietary accommodations. Concierge appears within individual restaurant profiles on the OpenTable platform and will eventually handle reservation bookings directly.

OpenTable conducted consumer research showing that 54% of Americans research restaurants before booking, spending approximately 21 minutes on average. The study found that 27% of respondents decided against booking a restaurant because finding information online was difficult, while 17% chose not to book due to insufficient details and reluctance to call the restaurant.

The research indicated that diners typically contact restaurants for opening hours (46%), menu information (39%), and address details (22%). Concierge addresses these inquiries within the booking platform.

"Today's diners are extremely savvy, and oftentimes they want to know exactly what to order and whether specific needs can be met before they ever step through the door," said Sagar Mehta, OpenTable's chief technology officer.

Concierge operates using OpenTable's restaurant data including menus, reviews, and descriptions, combined with Perplexity and OpenAI APIs. The launch represents part of OpenTable's broader AI strategy, which includes partnerships with Microsoft's Copilot, Amazon's Alexa+, and voice AI platforms Slang AI and PolyAI.

OpenTable, owned by Booking Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: BKNG), serves more than 60,000 restaurants globally and processes 1.8 billion reservations annually. The survey was conducted by PureSpectrum among 1,500 US consumers between May 12-16, 2025.

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