Want to reduce a restaurant bill that’s a little too steep? The solution: eat at a cheap restaurant with the TheFork discount! 🙂
But concretely, how does TheFork work to find the best tables at bargain prices? Do not panic, the mouse explains how it works in detail, introduces you to its loyalty program (the famous Yums) and gives you its unfiltered opinion! 😉
Dining out in France or neighboring countries (like the UK, Italy or Spain) can quickly cost more than €60 for two! And that is without wine and in a mid-range establishment, which remains expensive for tighter budgets. But being a clever mouse, I rarely spend more than €40 for two for dinner, even in very good places…
Indeed, since the early 2010s, TheFork website and application have allowed you to book your table in a few clicks on your computer or via your smartphone. Whether you are looking for a restaurant “near me” at the last minute or a gourmet table for an event, the system often offers steep discounts on the menu up to 50 %!
After more than three hundred restaurants visited in France and Europe over the years thanks to this site, I explain in detail how to optimize your reservations to go out for a cheap lunch or dinner! 😉
Sommaire
- Groupon deals
- Presentation : how does TheFork discount work?
- Where does it work?
- How does it work with TheFork?
- TheTheFork Festival : the meeting place for thrifty gourmets
- Yums Program : eat (really) for free !
- The mouse’s review of TheFork
- 🎁 Gift from the gourmet mouse: €50 offered!
- FAQ: Your questions about TheFork
- A word from the mouse: ready to enjoy life to the fullest (and at a discount)?
👉 The essentials to eat at -50 % with TheFork in 2026
- ✅ The discount rule : the -50 % reduction applies to all à la carte dishes (excluding set menus and drinks), with no minimum order imposed by the platform. You enjoy the promo even for a single dish!
- 💎 The loyalty program (Yums) : 1000 Yums give you a €20 discount and 2000 Yums give you €50. Look for restaurants labeled « Yums x2 » to double your points and reach free meals twice as fast ;
- 📅 Booking is mandatory : you must use the mobile application or the website for the discount to be validated on the bill. Be on time : beyond a 15-minute delay, the restaurant owner can legally cancel your discount ;
- 🐭 The mouse trick : combine the advantages! In 2026, check if you can pay via TheFork PAY directly in the application. This often allows you to earn bonus Yums or enjoy gift cards bought at a discount.
Groupon deals
Before knowing TheFork, I regularly took advantage of deals offered by Groupon, which allow two people to dine for often less than €30 with starter, main course and dessert.
However, this site has a few limitations : a more or less restricted number of deals depending on the city, mandatory advance payment, and booking that is sometimes complicated due to a lack of time slots.
And very often the obligation to consume a full menu, which does not suit smaller appetites!
Nevertheless, there are other offers (main course and drink only, for example). And by searching well on the web, various discount codes gathered here and there very regularly allow to lower the bill by another 10 to 20 %, which makes it really cheap.
While I still regularly enjoy new deals, I have since discovered a site that offers the same type of discounts but with greater flexibility and much more choice : TheFork.
Presentation : how does TheFork discount work?
TheFork is first and foremost a restaurant booking platform.
After registering (taking advantage of my sponsorship during your 1st booking!), browse the site by choosing the city and the type of cuisine you want.
Then, if necessary, refine your search with the options on the left of the screen (distance, promotion offered from 20 to 50 %, average price per person, minimum visitor rating…).
You can enter a date or choose without a specific date.
The TheFork reviews tab will show you the ratings and comments left by people who have booked through TheFork and only those (it is impossible to comment if you have not actually dined there).
This will give you a good idea of the quality of the restaurant. TripAdvisor reviews complete this if necessary. Once you have spotted the restaurant you like, no need to call the establishment!
Click on the right on the time slot to reserve as well as the number of people, the possible discount is clearly mentioned, validate well to get the confirmation on the site, there you go, it is done! A summary will be sent to your phone.
Where does it work?
Initially restricted to France and especially its large cities, the site was bought by TripAdvisor and became TheFork.
I have been able to benefit from it extensively in Paris, but also in the good restaurants of Nice! 😉
TheFork has spread to cities in several European countries (Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom…) as well as a few others (Brazil…)
We were able to fully enjoy TheFork in Madrid, but also in Seville or Malaga in Spain, considerably reducing the bill!
In Italy, we took the opportunity to test very good restaurants in Naples!
More recently, TheFork has developed in the United Kingdom, allowing us to make great savings in London, a truly expensive city!
On the other hand, TheFork seems to have disappeared from Denmark (which is overpriced though!) and Turkey in 2023… The operation is perfectly similar in all countries.
The only difference is that drinks are sometimes included in the promotion in Italy (good wine at half price is yours!). This happens sometimes in Spain, but it is never the case in France…
How does it work with TheFork?
The principle is simple : partner restaurants offer discounts to fill their tables during off-peak hours or to make themselves known. But for the magic to work on the bill, there are a few golden rules to respect.
Simply search through the options for restaurants offering a TheFork promotion, possibly the percentage of promo (30, 40, 50 %) and then select the desired establishment.
1. Mandatory reservation (and digital !)
To benefit from the discount, you must imperatively go through the TheFork website or application.
- The trap to avoid : do not call the restaurant to confirm or reserve. If you do not appear in the internal software of TheFork, the restaurateur will not be able (legally) to apply the promotion.
2. The “menu vs à la carte” duel : the crucial point
This is where mistakes are most frequent !
- The rule : the discount applies only to “la Carte” (à la carte items).
- The exception : set menus (menu of the day, tasting menu, lunch formulas) are systematically excluded from the promotion.
- The smart calculation : before ordering, check if the -50% discount on an à la carte dish does not come out cheaper than the fixed menu. Often, the answer is yes !
3. Is there a minimum consumption required?
This is the big question ! Since a reform of the platform rules in 2018, there is no longer any obligation to consume “Starter + Main” or “Main + Dessert” to benefit from the discount.
- Total freedom : the discount must apply even if you only take a single dish from the à la carte menu.
- An important nuance : although you are free, it is customary (and more polite towards the restaurateur who gives you a big discount) not to be satisfied with a simple starter at €8.
- The exception : only offers of the “discounted tasting menu” type (where the restaurant offers -50% on a specific full menu) impose by definition to eat the whole meal.
4. What is (almost) never discounted
Even with a -50 % promotion, some items remain at full price :
- Drinks : wine, beer, sodas and coffees are almost always excluded (French law requires this for alcohol, and commercial usage for the rest).
- The “noble product” supplement : sometimes, a very expensive dish (e.g. lobster, truffle) may have a “hors promotion” (excluded from promotion) mention on the restaurant menu.
The mouse’s trick 🐭 : upon arrival, simply say : “Hello, I have booked with TheFork under the name of [Your Name]”. No need to talk about the discount right away, it is automatically registered in their system. Just check that it appears well on the bill at the end !
💳 Did you know? TheFork Pay, the bill 2.0
In 2026, no need to take out your wallet at the restaurant. TheFork has generalized its secure payment solution directly integrated into the application.
- How does it work? When it is time to pay, open the app. If the restaurant is a partner, a “Pay the bill” button appears. You enter the total amount and it’s settled !
- Why use it? It is faster (no more waiting for the card terminal), you often accumulate Yums bonuses (sometimes 200 or 500 points offered) and it is the only way to use your TheFork gift cards.
- Attention : check well before ordering that the establishment accepts this method of payment. Some restaurateurs, although referenced, still do not master the system well.
TheTheFork Festival : the meeting place for thrifty gourmets
Twice a year (usually in spring and autumn), TheFork launches its “Festival”. This is the time when good deals become crazy ! 🎡
- The concept : thousands of restaurants throughout France (and in Europe) go to -50 % on the menu, without needing to spend your precious Yums.
- The difference : unlike the rest of the year when -50 % is sometimes rare in certain neighborhoods, during the Festival, even very reputable tables play the game.
- The strategy : reservations often open a week before the official start. The best tables (high-end sushi, trendy Italians) disappear in a few hours.
The mouse’s trick 🐭 : even during the Festival, you continue to accumulate Yums ! This is the best time to make your kitty grow while enjoying prices cut in half.
Yums Program : eat (really) for free !
This is the best kept secret of regulars : the more you book, the less you pay. Each reservation earns you Yums, loyalty points that turn into hard cash discounts.
How to accumulate Yums?
- 100 Yums offered for each classic reservation.
- 200 Yums (Yums x2) in a wide selection of establishments.
- L’astuce de la souris : by booking two or three times in “Yums x2” restaurants, you reach the discount thresholds very quickly !
The happiness thresholds (in 2026)
How to use your Yums? Once your points are accumulated, you can spend them in partner restaurants (check the option “Accepts Yums” during your search) :
- 1000 Yums = €20 discount on the bill.
- 2000 Yums = €50 discount. This is the most profitable threshold !
The European mystery 🌍 : if in France and the United Kingdom (£50) the 2000 points threshold is royal, it drops to €25 in Spain or Portugal. Do not ask me why, it is one of the great mysteries of European gastronomy ! But it remains an excellent plan to treat yourself to a prestigious table in Lisbon or Madrid for a few euros.
Accumulating points to eat “for free” is attractive, but TheFork is tightening its rules in a way that is – let’s face it – quite petty. Here is what it is imperative to know before relying on your points in 2026 :
- Reduced validity : your Yums now expire after one year (compared to two previously).
- Very limited use : they are only accepted in Paris and rare very large cities. Elsewhere, almost no restaurant plays the game, even in cities as small as… Rouen, Lille or Nice !
- Points lost without mercy : points are no longer extended in the event of cancellation (which was 2 months until 2025), even if it is the restaurateur who cancels ! If the one-year period is exceeded, your points are definitively lost. Nice !
- New spending threshold : in 2026, you must now consume at least €10 more than the amount of your discount (€20 or €50). Difficult to achieve if you dine alone or in a small cheap restaurant !
🐭 The mouse’s advice : no longer consider Yums as a long-term kitty. Use them as soon as you have the opportunity in a large city, otherwise you risk losing everything due to a simple change of schedule by the restaurateur !
The mouse’s review of TheFork
So my opinion on TheFork ? I have been able to dine almost for free several times over the years, and during my travels in Europe. Good Italian cuisine is mine without emptying my wallet too much ! 😉
Problems are very rare and the discount is generally directly applied. If this is not the case (the waiter did not necessarily realize that you came with TheFork when making the bill), simply point it out and it solves the problem in 95 % of cases !
There you go, if you are looking for the best cheap restaurants in Paris or in the Provinces with TheFork, all you have to do is browse the app or the website and spot the best ratings. Only real users of the app can vote and give their opinion, which avoids the manipulations seen on other sites ! 😉
🎁 Gift from the gourmet mouse: €50 offered!
Want to test the system right away? Here is a magic shortcut for your next cheap restaurant outing!
Your 2026 referral code
7A921AA5
By using my TheFork referral link (click here) and entering this code during your first booking, you will receive 2000 free Yums directly into your account once your meal is over!
Needless to say, that truffle pizza or fresh Italian pasta will taste like victory! Please note: make sure to enter the code when confirming your booking to activate the bonus. Happy dining! 😉
FAQ: Your questions about TheFork
I answer your frequently asked questions about TheFork app here! 🙂
Can you benefit from TheFork promo for a large group?
Yes, but within the limit set by the restaurateur during booking (often limited to 6, 8, or 10 people). The discount then applies to all guests for all à la carte dishes. For larger groups, it is often better to contact the establishment directly for a specific group menu.
What happens if I cannot make it to the restaurant?
This is the famous “No-Show“. If you have a change of plans, it is imperative to cancel via the app or the website. TheFork has become very strict in 2026: after several unhonoured bookings, your account may be suspended.
Please note: expiring Yums are no longer extended in the event of a cancellation, even if the restaurateur cancels! You risk losing everything without being responsible for the cancellation.
Does TheFork discount apply to drinks?
Depending on the country and the restaurant, the answer varies. While in some countries like France it is almost always a no, in other regions drinks may be included. Always check the specific conditions of the restaurant on the app before booking.
Can I combine a -50% promo and my 2000 Yums?
No, offers are not cumulative. You must choose: either the promotion (e.g., -50%) or the loyalty discount. Furthermore, using Yums now requires spending at least €10 more than the value of the discount (meaning a €30 spend to use a €20 discount).
What should I do if the discount does not appear on the bill?
To err is human! Present your confirmation email to the waiter to rectify the situation immediately.
🐭 The mouse’s advice: always check your receipt before taking out your credit card!
Are TheFork and LaFourchette the same thing?
Yes! The company simply standardised its name internationally after its acquisition by TripAdvisor. The app and customer accounts are identical.
What should I do if the restaurant refuses the promotion?
This is very rare if you have your confirmation. In the event of a dispute, pay the bill and contact customer service via the app.
Note from the mouse: keep your proof, as recovering “confiscated” points has become complex with the new 2026 rules.
For the reasons mentioned above, the mouse unfortunately lost no less than 12,000 Yums last month! A lack of restaurants accepting points around my mouse hole, bookings cancelled for no apparent reason, and points definitively “confiscated”… the experience is becoming frustrating. I have officially contacted TheFork‘s commercial service to request the re-crediting of these points and to denounce these restrictive practices. I consider this a real-world test of their consideration for their loyal users and partners. I will keep you updated right here on the outcome: a commercial gesture or radio silence?🐭 The mouse’s advice: transparency is key. A good deal is only worth it if it is reliable over time. Stay vigilant and do not let your points sleep until the rules of the game are clarified!
A word from the mouse: ready to enjoy life to the fullest (and at a discount)?
As you will have understood, eating out in 2026 no longer necessarily means emptying your savings account! Between the -50% promotions, the Yums system, and tips like TheFork Pay, you now have all the keys to treat yourself without counting!
But gourmandise is only one facet of the Mouse’s savings! If you love to travel and live better while spending less, do not miss my other budget guides:
- 🛍️ Shopping addict? Discover where to find the best-stocked Mango Outlet stores.
- 👗 Mini-price fashion: My complete guide to finding your Primark store.
- 💊 Health and beauty: My exclusive list of low-cost pharmacies to pay up to three times less for your parapharmacy!
And you, what is your best restaurant memory found thanks to TheFork? A favourite address or a bill that left you speechless? Share your experiences in the comments, the mouse loves discovering new tables! 👇