TheFork SMS Verification

Booking a table in Europe? Clear the TheFork SMS verification step with a virtual number and reserve restaurants in a few taps without handing over your personal line.

TheFork, formerly LaFourchette, is an online restaurant booking platform founded in Paris in 2007 and acquired by Tripadvisor in 2014. Through its website and Android and iOS apps it lets diners find restaurants and reserve tables in more than twenty European countries. A phone number helps confirm that bookings are made by real people and lets the restaurant reach you if needed.

On TheFork, the virtual number goes into the account form and the incoming code confirms it before your first booking. That is practical for travellers who want to book ahead in cities such as Paris, Rome or Barcelona before getting a local SIM, and for diners who would rather keep a personal number away from marketing messages. Still leave a contact the restaurant can reach on the day of the booking.

Confirmations, changes and cancellation notices can arrive by text, so if the virtual number expires you may miss a restaurant's last-minute message. Some restaurants may ask for card details to hold a booking against no-shows; read the cancellation terms before booking and cancel in good time if your plans change.