FAQ Categories
Table booking
Everything you need to know to make, amend or cancel a booking.
How do I make a booking?
You can simply book online here. All you need to do is select the restaurant, select BOOK and then no of people, date and time. Or if you prefer to speak to someone, call your local Giggling Squid and we’ll be happy to help. You can find your local Giggling Squid phone number on the restaurant page.
Can I cancel or amend a booking?
Yes, you can easily amend or cancel your booking online using your confirmation email. If however, your confirmation email is buried under a mountain of emails, you can manage your booking on the Giggling Squid website – select BOOK and MANAGE BOOKING at the bottom. If all else fails you can always contact the restaurant directly. Please find the restaurant details here.
Do you take large party bookings?
Yes! Please contact the restaurant directly to discuss your requirements.
Do you need to put down a deposit for large bookings?
We will sometimes ask for a deposit for large bookings, usually at Christmas. Please contact your local Giggling Squid and ask to speak with the General Manager for more information before you book.
Our restaurants
Answers to popular questions about our restaurants.
Do you do private functions?
We have private dining spaces in select restaurants. Please contact your local Giggling Squid to enquire.
Are your restaurants dog friendly?
The only animals allowed in our restaurants are assistance dogs, which are most welcome.
Do you support local charities?
It’s a case by case basis, please contact your local Giggling Squid to enquire.
Is there parking at your restaurants?
This is unique to each restaurant. Please contact your nearest restaurant to ask. Where the restaurant doesn’t have it’s own parking, there is usually public parking or transport nearby.
Do you have baby changing and high chairs?
Yes, we welcome tiny squidlets and have made our sites as family friendly as possible.
Are your restaurants breastfeeding friendly and support bottle feeding?
Yes to both – for bottle feeding we can provide hot water in a bowl or most restaurants have warming devices for baby bottles. Please ask a member of staff at the restaurant.
Is there a bar area for drinks before booking?
This is at select restaurants only. Check with your local restaurant here.
Do you have outdoor seating at your restaurants?
Most of our restaurants have outdoor seating but they are not heated so tend to be open when the weather is milder. Please look at the restaurant page to see if they have outdoor seating.
Is service charge compulsory to pay?
We add a 7.5% tip automatically to your bill however this is payable at your discretion. Applying a service charge to the bill allows us to operate a transparent and fair system as it gets shared across the entire team including kitchen porters, runners, chefs and servers – rewarding everyone who has been involved in the guest’s experience. If you do not wish to pay, please let a member of staff know to remove.
Do you accept AMEX payments?
We accept AMEX payments in-restaurant and online when you order a Click & Collect or a Delivery.
Do you have a NHS discount?
During lockdown we were delighted to offer a discount for NHS staff when dining in at Giggling Squid restaurants. Following the end of the lockdown period, this discount is no longer running but we’ve been made aware that there are several scams currently claiming to offer Giggling Squid NHS discounts. Please do not engage with these as they are fake.
Gift vouchers
Everything you need to know to purchase, amend or cancel a gift voucher.
My voucher is expiring, can I extend my gift voucher?
Please contact us via our contact us form and we’ll see what we can do to help.
Can I purchase a gift voucher if I am outside of the UK?
You need to have a UK billing address to purchase our e-vouchers online.
Ordering online
Questions on our takeaway menus, how to place, amend or cancel an order.
Do you cater for allergens for delivery and collect orders?
No we don’t. As per our allergens policy, we do not alter any dishes for any allergic or intolerant guests. So, we’re afraid, that we will not be able to serve any dishes with tailored recipes. Please be aware, the majority of our dishes contains either chilli, peppers or paprika. See more on our allergies page here.
Do you do takeaway?
Yes – we do Delivery, Click & Collect and Call & Collect takeaway from all our restaurants.
Sustainability
Your questions on sustainability in our business, answered.
Is your takeaway packaging recyclable?
Most of our takeaway packaging is made of card, these containers are fully recyclable. Please rinse the containers and feel free to reuse or dispose of in your household recycling bin. The black takeaway packaging is made of recyclable plastic PP5, which is collectable by many local authorities and bigger community recycling points such as supermarkets. We know we still have a little way to go, and we continue to look at options that are kinder to the environment.
What are you doing for the environment?
We’re committed to running our business in a sustainable way and have programmes in place as part of our Green Squid initiative. Find out more here.
How energy efficient are your restaurants?
We use LED lights in all our new restaurants and will be upgrading older sites where possible as part of our refurb programme. Our kitchen appliances are all high-grade energy rating A+ and above and our teams are trained to reduce water wastage, for example by ensuring taps are not left on unnecessarily. We are also trialling induction woks in some of our new restaurants. Find out more about our commitment to sustainability here.
How do you train staff on sustainable initiatives?
Our intensive training programme for all restaurant staff covers sustainability and the initiatives we have in place. We call it ‘Green Squid’. We stress the importance for all staff to adhere to sustainable practices, whether that’s at our restaurants or at head office.
Do you have a sustainability policy?
Yes. We recognise the importance of driving sustainability throughout the business. As part of the policy we pledge to comply with all relevant regulatory requirements, continually improve and reduce our environmental impact, incorporate environmental factors into business decisions and increase employee awareness and training. Find out more about our commitment to sustainability here.
What initiatives do you have in place to reduce your carbon footprint?
As a multi-site restaurant group, it is essential for us to have a well-defined and implemented energy management policy that guides our operations team, conserves energy and reduces our environmental impact. We are committed to conserving energy and are working to reduce energy consumption in our sites by 5% by the end of 2024 through a variety of ways such as investing in and utilising energy efficient equipment, investing in energy monitoring systems, educating our teams in energy conservation and working and supporting suppliers to minimise their own carbon footprint. Find out more about our commitment to sustainability here.
Do you use single use plastics? What efforts are in place to reduce your usage?
We do not purchase any single use plastic for use in our restaurant and where possible, we work with suppliers who have initiatives to minimise their own carbon footprint. See our sustainability page for more information.
What do you do with food waste?
All our food waste is collected and used in anaerobic digestion, a process which uses the waste to produce bio fuels and fertilisers. Find out more on our sustainability page.
Newsletter and Golden Gigglers
Find out how to become a Golden Giggler and its benefits
What can I expect when I sign up to the Giggling Newsletter?
When you sign up, we’ll send you an email newsletter a few times a month (occasionally you may receive an extra one if your nearest Giggling Squid is taking part in a local event). Not only will you be the first to hear about new dishes, cocktails and fabulous prize draws but you’ll receive a treat to celebrate your birthday and our most regular guests have the chance to become a Golden Giggler and enjoy exclusive rewards!
What is a Golden Giggler?
A Golden Giggler is our affectionate term for our most active and loyal subscribers. When you book a table, order a takeaway or leave a post-dining review (or any combination of the above) three times during a 365 day period, you unlock extra benefits and rewards:
- Exclusive prize draws (on top of our regular competitions).
- Sneak previews such as our popular Festive Feast events where Golden Gigglers are invited to sample the delights of our Christmas menu (on us!) before it launches.
- A quarterly Surprise & Delight where we pick one lucky Giggler at random to win a meal on us.
- Fabulous freebies – for example we like to send out free starter offers to our Golden Gigglers when we introduce new menu items so you can enjoy them on us!
- Offers from carefully selected partners and brands we think you’ll love. (Don’t worry, your data is precious as gold dust so we NEVER share unless it’s for the one-off purpose of posting out a prize.)
How do I become a Golden Giggler?
Sign up to our email newsletter and our database will automatically record each time you book a table, leave a review (you’ll be sent these post dining in or after a Giggling takeaway so they’re worth completing!) or order a click & collect takeaway (delivery doesn’t count yet due to some unexciting technical reasons…). As soon as you’ve done any of the above three times within a 365 day rolling period, you’ll automatically be entered into our Golden Giggling tier and receive a Golden Giggler welcome email!
How do I keep my Golden Giggler status?
You must continue to do any of these 3 activities in a 365 day rolling period: book a table, order a click & collect takeaway and/or leave a Feeditback review, and remain signed up to our database.
Does it matter which email address I use?
We count your activities based on the email address you used to sign up to our newsletter so be sure to use the same email address for all bookings, takeaways and feedback.
How do you look after my data?
We never share it. If we partner with a brand to offer a prize and you win, we’ll contact you via email and will only share your address for the purposes of posting out a prize, afterwhich your data is deleted. See our privacy policy here.
Can I opt out of being a Golden Giggler?
If you’d like to stop receiving Golden Giggler emails or our regular newsletters, contact [email protected] and we’ll delete your profile immediately.
I’ve got a question but can’t find the answer here
Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions still unanswered and we’ll be happy to help.
Accessibility
Wheelchair access, assistance dogs & menus for visual impairment
Which Giggling Squid restaurants have wheelchair access?
Whilst many of our restaurants are housed in heritage or listed buildings which can restrict the work we carry out, we have made every effort to create easy access for wheelchair users. Every restaurant has a disabled toilet and the following sites have step-free access:
Bath, Bracknell, Beaconsfield, Bishop’s Stortford, Brentwood, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Cardiff St Davids, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Chislehurst, Clifton, Esher, Farnham, Guildford, Harpenden, Harrogate, Henley, Hornchurch, Horsham, Hove, Kingston-upon-Thames, Leamington Spa, Leicester, Maidstone, Marlow, Mere Green, Norwich, Oxford, Reigate, Salisbury, Sevenoaks, Shrewsbury, Stratford-upon-Avon, Tunbridge Wells, Welwyn Garden City, West Bridgford, Weybridge, Wimbledon, Winchester, Windsor and Wokingham.
Does Giggling Squid offer menus for visually impaired guests?
Our all day menu is available in a plain, large font format against a yellow background to allow for easier legibility. Please ask your server on arrival who will be happy to assist.
Can I bring my assistance dog into a Giggling Squid restaurant?
Yes, we welcome assistance dogs at every Giggling Squid.