Tableall publishes its fees and its cancellation schedule in its own FAQ, which makes it straightforward to describe. This page sets out what it charges, how a booking works, and when it may suit you better than other routes. All figures are from Tableall’s FAQ, read on October 3, 2026; check it again before you book, because terms can change.
What Tableall is
Tableall is a booking service for a partner list of restaurants, mainly in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Its FAQ says the team dines at each restaurant as regular customers before negotiating a contract, and that it cannot book restaurants that are not partners. In place of public reviews, it offers an option to send a message to the chef after your visit.
Two ways a booking happens
| Type | How it works | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Instant booking | Tableall pre‑purchases a limited number of seats and lists them; you buy one directly | About 20% of bookings |
| Request booking | You submit dates; Tableall asks the restaurant to confirm a seat | The rest |
For a request, your card is authorized, not charged, when you submit it. If the restaurant confirms, the charge goes through; if not, the authorization is released within 72 hours. Tableall says it usually responds within 24 hours, with delays possible around weekends and restaurant closures. Its FAQ suggests giving several candidate dates, and says a good booking history and positive feedback from restaurants raise future priority.
What it costs
As of October 3, 2026:
- Booking fee: ¥8,000 per seat, not refunded at any point.
- Course prepaid: the listed price includes the full course, service charge, tax and handling fee; additional food and drinks are paid at the restaurant.
- No membership fee.
- Changes: the first date or time change, requested 14 or more days ahead, is free; from the second change, ¥8,000 per person. Changing to a different restaurant is not possible.
For two people at a ¥40,000 course, that is ¥96,000 paid in advance, of which ¥16,000 is the booking fee. The fee is the same whatever the course price, so on a ¥15,000 lunch it is more than half the course price. For context, see how much fine dining in Japan costs.
The cancellation schedule
As of October 3, 2026:
| Timing | Tokyo dinner, 3 or fewer guests | 4 or more, private room, lunch, or other regions |
|---|---|---|
| 14 to 8 days before | 50% of course price | 70% |
| 7 to 3 days before | 70% | 80% |
| Within 48 hours | 100% | 100% |
| Booking fee | Not refunded | Not refunded |
Tableall states that the policy applies in all circumstances, including flight delays and illness. It can issue a receipt for cancellation fees for a travel insurance claim, and it does not recommend booking for your arrival day. Arriving more than 30 minutes late may mean being refused without a refund, and a no‑show ends your membership. For background, see Japan’s cancellation culture.
Other points from the FAQ
Tableall asks for a minimum business casual dress code, without sandals, shorts or sleeveless tops. Dietary restrictions go in the request, and it asks for specifics, such as which kinds of shellfish. Refunds take 7 to 10 business days to reach your card.
When Tableall may suit you
- You want to book in English, online, end to end, including instant booking where Tableall holds pre‑purchased seats.
- You want the course paid in advance, so there is no bill at the restaurant beyond extras.
- The restaurant you want is on Tableall’s partner list. Some restaurants link to Tableall from their own websites as a route for overseas guests.
- You prefer a published, fixed fee that you know before you start.
Points to check before you book
- The ¥8,000 fee is per seat, whatever the course price.
- Only restaurants on the partner list can be booked.
- A request booking depends on the restaurant’s answer.
- Course cancellation fees follow the schedule above, in addition to the booking fee.
Compared with booking direct
If a restaurant takes bookings on TableCheck or OMAKASE, booking direct costs nothing beyond any platform fee, and the restaurant’s own cancellation terms apply. Where a restaurant takes bookings only by phone in Japanese, booking direct means someone who speaks Japanese calling at the right time, as we describe in phone‑only restaurants in Tokyo. Tableall, a hotel concierge and our desk each offer a different way to handle that.
Our desk
We call restaurants in Japanese from Tokyo. Our booking fee is ¥6,000 per seat at a restaurant in our collection and ¥12,000 per seat elsewhere, charged only if we secure the table and you approve it. We do not prepay the course; you pay the restaurant on the night, and the restaurant’s own cancellation terms apply. We do not book introduction‑only restaurants, transport or lodging. For all the routes side by side, see our 2026 comparison of Japan restaurant concierges; to request a seat, tell us your dates or read how it works.
To see TableCheck, OMAKASE, Ikyu, Tableall and Pocket Concierge side by side, read Japan restaurant booking sites compared.