Cancellation Policy
Bookings, Cancellations, Dietary Requirements Policy & General FAQ’s
Cancellation Policy
The Lighthouse restaurants continued viability relies on reservations being honoured by our customers, and adequate notice being given of any changes or cancellations.
Accordingly, the following applies:
1. We require card details for any reservations held with us so that any fees applicable can be charged. We reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee for any booking that is cancelled, or if numbers are reduced without prior notice.
2. For all bookings, you must notify us of a cancellation or any changes to the number of guests at least 48 hours prior to your booking.
3. The Lighthouse Restaurant reserves the right to charge a cancellation fee of £50 per person for any bookings changed or cancelled within this 48 hour notice period.
4. Any bookings which fail to turn up without any prior notice, will incur a £75 per person fee.
5. For tables of 6 or more, a £75 per person non-refundable and non-transferable deposit will be required at the time of booking. This will only be returned if the cancellation is received no less than 72 hours prior to the booking.
6. The cancellation fee reflects the cost incurred by The Lighthouse in terms of staffing, food, and any lost revenue as a result of turning away other potential bookings.
7. We will notify you if any cancellation fee is applied.
Why do we require card details to secure bookings when many other restaurants do not?
We are a very small restaurant, which means we have to turn many enquiries away every week.
Because our experience is complex, guests must book in advance. In the past, we have experienced a lot of disappointment when a booking is not held. If we aren’t notified that a guest wants to cancel, we can’t rebook their table. This impacts on us as a business, and our guests who couldn’t secure a reservation.
Securing card details allow us to guarantee our seats will be filled every service, which is vital to the restaurant atmosphere and the effective running of our business.
Should you wish to cancel your booking we ask 48 hours minimum notice period so that no cancellation charge is applied.
Alternatively, you can transfer your reservation to anyone you wish as long as this is done at least 48 hours before your booking. At the restaurant’s discretion, you may be able to reschedule your reservation within the 48 hour period.
Dietary requirements and allergy policy
Our primary goal is to offer a distinctive and memorable experience true to our vision. As such, there are limitations to the degree of modifications we will offer.
We will, with advance notice only, happily cater for vegetarian (lacto-ovo), pescatarian, gluten-free & dairy free guests.
Given the bespoke nature of our menus, at least 48 hours advance notice of any dietary requirements or allergies is essential or we may be unable to accommodate you.
At present, we do not cater by default for any dietary requirements beyond this so please contact us at eat@the-lighthouse-restaurant.co.uk prior to making a reservation if you have specific requirements.
Please bear in mind that your card details will be taken and if you have placed a booking and are unable to attend due to your dietary requirements not being able to be catered for and you cancel within 48 hours of your booking a fee of £50 per person will be charged.
Do I need to give card details when placing a reservation with a voucher?
If you have a voucher, card details will still be taken to secure the booking. Should you cancel within a 48 hour period a fee of £50 per person will be charged.
Should you have any questions regarding your voucher, please contact the restaurant.
What is the dress code?
We do not operate a dress code. Your experience with us is about you being happy.
Many guests do choose to wear jackets, but we will not dictate to any visitors that they must wear this or that.
What should I do if I am running late?
If you are running late, please call the restaurant as early as possible to let us know. As a small and busy restaurant, we are not always able to answer the phone straight away so please do keep trying if you can’t get through. If you are running 15 minutes late or more we may not be able to accommodate your booking and in this case a no-show fee of £75 per person will be charged.
Are children welcome in the restaurant?
As a small restaurant, we have to be mindful of the potential impact on the atmosphere for our other diners.
Our experience is intended for adults and we do not have a children’s menu. We do welcome well-behaved children over the age of 12 who will be able to enjoy the full menu.
If you have any questions, please do contact us directly.
How big is the restaurant and do you offer a private dining area or cater for large parties?
The restaurant has a maximum of 46 seats – this allows us to offer guests the experience we want and spend proper care and attention on every diner.
It also means we have to be mindful of how easily the atmosphere in the dining room is affected by individual tables; we are unable to offer reservations for groups larger than 12.
Please contact us if you have an event larger than this to see whether we are able to accommodate you.
How often does the menu change?
We do not find it helpful to prescriptively set menu changes. We work with seasonal produce, and this may mean ingredients and dishes evolve and change as rapidly as the weather.
New dishes are introduced as and when we are happy with their development, and some dishes remain in one format or another on the menu as the best expression of the ideas and concepts we look to explore.