A restaurant is often chosen on Instagram, before anyone even books. Here are seven reel ideas that are simple to film, and a few rules to make sure they really make people want to come.
1. The kitchen in full service
The flames, the gestures, the clatter of pans: a few seconds in the kitchen tell the restaurant’s story better than a long text. Filming during a real service brings an energy that’s impossible to recreate.
2. The signature dish, from produce to plate
From raw produce to the finished plate, in a few short shots. It’s often the reel that makes people want to book.
3. The team
The chef, the kitchen brigade, the front of house: showing the people reassures and builds a connection. A single sentence from the chef about their favourite dish is enough.
4. The atmosphere in the dining room and on the terrace
Evening light, full tables, glasses clinking: this is the reel that sells the experience, not just the food on the plate.
5. Behind the scenes
Morning prep, deliveries arriving, getting ready for a private event: behind-the-scenes footage makes viewers feel they’re stepping inside the restaurant.
6. What’s new
A new menu, a seasonal dish, the cocktail of the month: a concrete reason to come back. For the opening of A Tavola, three reels showcased the kitchen, the dining room and the team from the very first days.
7. Producers and produce
Where do your vegetables, your cheese, your wine come from? The produce and the people behind it are a story customers love to discover.
The rules for getting a reel seen
- film vertically from the start, rather than cropping a horizontal video;
- hook viewers from the very first second: a gesture, a sound, a flame;
- keep it short, often under 30 seconds;
- add subtitles, as many videos are watched without sound;
- post regularly rather than all at once.