Is “The Fork” App A Legit Deal Or A Scam?

You might have seen The Fork pop up from time to time when trying to make a reservation for restaurants in Europe and the UK.

I’ve had to use so many different online reservation systems that The Fork just seemed like another run of the mill booking system.

And then one day, my girlfriend mentioned she was dining at a pretty fancy place because she was getting 50% off the menu through The Fork. There it was again. I was skeptical – so I started playing around on their website.

Surely enough, some restaurants offered 30-50% off, and others offered exclusive Fork only menus. For me, it still sounded suspiciously like those Entertainment coupon books back in the United States. You are drawn in by a deal that ends up having a lot of fine print. There’s always a minimum spend, or restriction that you have to follow perfectly if you want to get the deal.

So you’re here because you are wondering if thefork.com is a legitimate deal or a scam?

I made sure to read the fine prints back and front (all one line of it) before trying The Fork for the first time. You can breathe a sigh of relief, THE FORK IS A LEGITIMATE website. In fact, it’s not only legitimate, but it’s changed how I dine out in Europe.

A Primer On the Fork

1. It is surprisingly easy to use for reservations.

2. Most restaurants include their current menus and prices so you don’t have to browse through grainy photos on Google reviews for them.

3. The deals are just there and clear to understand.

Basically, if a reservation is on the Fork, there’s no reason NOT to book through the website or app. You’d just be potentially missing out on their exclusive deals otherwise.

To get started, you just have to understand a bit how it all works and I’ll break it down for you here. As a very generous bonus, you can get up to €50 to use at restaurants just by signing up and making your first reservation. I’ll show you how.

Why Are Restaurants On The Fork?

The Fork is a UK based company that partners with restaurants to streamline their reservation system and offer promotional deals. And this could be for a number of reasons. Maybe the restaurant are new, want to draw in a new market of customers, or maybe a lot of destination operate seasonally so offering promotions can draw in traffic during slower periods?

Either way, I like to filter for reservations with Special Offers in the area I’m visiting, read some reviews and explore the restaurant scene that way while saving money.

How Do The Fork Deals Work?

The Fork is basically a one-stop reservation and review website so you don’t have to call the restaurants directly to look for availability, check the menu, or read reviews elsewhere. On top of that, there’s a filter option to look for restaurants that are currently offering some kind of menu or promotion.

When visiting new cities, I like to do a long walk when I first arrive just to look at restaurant that jump out to me or are offering special menus. I make note of these restaurants. With the Fork, it’s nice to just browse for restaurants online and see if they offer any special menus. I always love a good deal.

What Are The Fork Yums Special Offers?

By using the Special Offers filter, I can quickly see all the restaurants in a search area offering some kind of percentage off deal.

A quick search for Porto, Portugal shows 91 restaurants currently offer deals between 30-50% off. You’ll see the cuisine type, the ratings, comments, address, and average price (before the discount).

I’ve clicked on one of the restaurants and from there you’ll see the “restrictions” for the deal. In most cases, preset menus and drinks are not included and the 50% applies to the “a la carte” menu, which is basically most of the menu.

The best part is you can actually see the current menu and prices right there. And to the right of that, you can click to see the date and times where the deal applies. In this case, it looks like it’s mostly available only for lunch.

What Are Yums and The Yums Loyalty Program?

This brings me to the next best part of The Fork. The Yums loyalty program. Instead of earning loyalty at individual restaurants or cafes (you know, buy 10 coffees, and the 11th one is on us type of deal). You earn points for all your reservations, you earn points for referring others, and then you can redeem those points to get €20 or €50 off your bill automatically at participating restaurants.

You’ll earn 100 yums for every reservation you make on the website. Restaurants that show a YUMS x2 means you’ll earn 200 points for your reservation.

If you refer someone and they use your referral code, you earn 1000 Yums. And they in turn earn 2000 Yums after their first reservation.

Great, 100, 200, 1000, 2000 Yums. What do they actually amount to? Well, 1000 Yums earns you 20€ when you redeem and 2000 Yums earn you 50€ off your bill when you redeem. And it’s automatically taken off your bill without having to say anything.

Now, the only fine print is the Yums is you need to find a restaurant that accepts them, which is easy enough using the “Accepting My Yums” filter.

So basically, if you’re reading this, bookmark this page and save this special code: 83E3BC35 and use it for your first reservation to get double the normal sign up bonus. 2000 Yums instead of 1000. Basically, make your first reservation and then you get €50 off the next one. No-brainer.

Do it now, because the deal is for a limited time, and then it will revert back to 1000 Yums at any time.

How To Use the Fork Filters?

So, now to the fun part of picking the restaurants. USE THE FILTERS. Use the Special Offers filter first and then further narrow it down with all the other filters, like whether it’s Michelin rated, starred, recommended, or it’s an INSIDER restaurant. There are basic ratings, cuisines, neighborhood filters, but also filters for things like “Good for a business lunch,” “Oceanfront,” “Romantic,” Birthday,” or even “Bistronomic,” whatever that is.

You can do this on the website or through the App, which I recommend downloading because it’s convenient and you can keep better track of your points and referrals.

After you figure out a restaurant that works for you, make a reservation and you’re set. Once you get to the restaurant, the discount is already on your reservation and will automatically apply when the check comes out. If you have any questions about the deal or restrictions, just ask the restaurant before you order to be sure.

How Much Are Yums Worth?

If you’ve used the Fork in different countries, you might have noticed that your Yums redeem for different amounts. The questions I get the most are: “How much are Yums worth in the UK? How much are Yums worth in France? How much are Yums worth in Italy?” So on and so forth. Here’s a quick chart of how much Yums are worth in different countries. Yes, they are different depending on where you redeem them.

How To Use and Redeem Your Fork Yums Points?

Once you’ve earned 1000 or 2000 Yums (those are the redemption blocks), you can apply the discount off your next booking. When you are booking a restaurant, just check to see that the restaurant says “Accepts Yums” next to the Average Price. You can select the “Accepting my yums” filter to easily sort through the restaurants where you can redeem.

Next, you’ll want to go to that restaurant and choose the date and time you want to reserve.

If there are any other offers, you’ll see it on the page as well. For example, at the restaurant above, there’s a 20% discount Monday – Saturday and a special menu on Sundays. You’ll have to choose between using your Yums or one of the offers. As far as my experience goes, you can’t choose both. If you click on the little info icon to the top right of the “Use Your Yums” box, you’ll see what your points are worth.

Usually, 1000 Yums will get you €20 and 2000 points will get you €50. The currency depends on where the restaurant is based. So in the UK, the points are worth the most. Refer to the chart above.

Once you’ve selected your reservation time, date and number of guests, you can choose from the offers that are available. You can see below that I can exchange 2000 Yums to take €50 off my entire bill. Book your reservation and it will automatically be applied to your bill when you finish dining. No need to tell the waiter ahead of time.

Can You Combine Yums With Special Offers or Menu Offers?

This was the first question I had. Could I benefit from a restaurant offering 50% off their a la carte menu and use my Yums at the same time? The straightforward answer is No.

As you can see below, the restaurant is offering 50% off their “A la carte” menu. But you have to choose whether you want the 50% off offer or whether you want to redeem your Yums. Unfortunately, you can’t double dip and do both. You however, will still earn Yums for the reservation. In this case, you’ll get double Yums and get 200 Yums for making the reservation.

The only exception to this room is if the restaurant is having some kind of non-Fork specific promotions. In this case, obviously that promotion will apply and if they accept Yums, you can choose to redeem your points then.

So remember all this, remember this code: 83E3BC35 if you want to quickly get 2000 Yum points and don’t forget to use The Fork the next time you are looking for a new restaurant to eat in a new city. I actually use it all the time now, if only just to have ideas of where to eat. When there’s a deal that works out, it’s even better.

The alternative is to not use it and get nothing back for eating out. Lastly, if you’ve used the Fork or you plan on using it, please take a moment to come back and let me know what kind of deal you got and where in the comments. It will help other readers too.

Looking for more travel inspirations? Scroll through some of the 450+ experiences on my bucket list. Maybe you’ll find your next adventure on there.

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Updated on June 30, 2024