How to
Messaging a Place Before You Book
Mosey · 22 September 2026 · 2 min read
Some questions have to be answered before you can book, and almost none of them are on a website.
Can we bring the buggy. Is the upstairs room step-free. Do you do a proper gluten-free kitchen or just a menu note. Is there anywhere to put twelve people on a Thursday. Will you still be serving at nine.
Just ask
Where a place has messaging turned on, you can send a question straight to the venue from its page. The people who reply are the people who work there — no ticketing system, no bot, and no third party.
The whole exchange is in writing, which matters more than it sounds. A phone call at four on a Friday gets you a rushed yes; a message gets you an answer you can go back and read when the day arrives.
What it is good for
- Allergies and intolerances, where you want to hear how the kitchen actually handles it rather than reading a disclaimer
- Access — steps, the accessible loo, whether the good table is upstairs
- Buggies, dogs and children, which almost no website states plainly
- Awkward numbers — six is easy, eleven is a conversation
- Timing — last orders, whether the kitchen closes before the bar
Asking well
Say what you need and when, in one message. "Two adults, one baby in a buggy, Saturday around 1pm — is there room near the door?" gets a straight answer. "Hi, do you take buggies?" gets a maybe.
When it is not the right tool
- Booking a table — book it. A message is not a reservation and does not hold anything.
- Something already wrong with an order — use the order itself; it goes to the people who can act on it.
- Reporting a problem with content on Mosey — report it, so it reaches moderation rather than the venue.
What happens to the conversation
It stays in your messages, so a question you asked in March is still there in June when you go back. The venue keeps the thread on their side too, which is why the answer you get tends to be more considered than the one you would get on the phone.
Where to go next
- Booking a table on Mosey — the step after the question
- Eating out with allergies — what to ask, and what a good answer looks like
- Planning a group celebration — for the tables too big to just book
- Getting a table tonight — when there is no time to ask
Questions
Common questions
Can I message a restaurant directly on Mosey?
Yes, where the venue has messaging turned on. You send a question from its page and the people who work there reply.
Who actually answers?
The venue. There is no bot and no third-party ticketing system in between.
Is a message the same as a booking?
No. A message does not hold a table. Book if you want a table; message if you want a question answered first.
What should I ask?
Anything that decides whether you book — allergies, access, buggies, dogs, awkward group sizes, last orders. Say what you need and when, in one message.
Does every place have messaging?
No. It is something a venue turns on, so it is available on some and not others.
Where do I find the conversation later?
It stays in your messages, so a question you asked months ago is still there when the booking comes round.
Should I message about a problem with an order?
No — use the order itself, which reaches the people who can act on it straight away.
How do I report something that should not be on Mosey?
Use the report option on the content rather than messaging the venue, so it reaches moderation.
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