Making restaurant reservations from US using WhatsApp

Why not message them first on WhatsApp and see if that works, pour le reservation?

They are on WhatsApp, as well as having a phone number - just checking.

I've called to make reservations in Spanish and it's a pretty ideal situation as a non-fluent language speaker because the context is clear. You just need to provide the relevant details and they're going to say basically, yes, you have a reservation or no, sorry. They're not going to ask for your opinion about some abstract topic.

And, if they're on whatsapp, generally you can just send a text message to reserve instead of calling. So, that's even easier.

Thanks!
I don’t use WhatsApp much. Will the call go through to a regular line if they don’t have WhatsApp?

What is it you want to do? When I read the title of your question, I thought you wanted to make your reservation by sending them a message in text via WhatsApp, but it seems you want to call them via WhatsApp? If the restaurant in question doesn’t use WhatsApp, their telephone number won’t show up in your WhatsApp contact list and you can send them a WhatsApp message nor call them via WhatsApp.

Will the call go through to a regular line if they don’t have WhatsApp?

No - both parties must have WhatsApp.

Add their phone number to your mobile phone's contacts. WhatsApp will identify if their number is also on WhatsApp. If it's not, you won't be able to WhatsApp them.

It is completely dependent on whether they use Whatsapp in association with that phone number. If they rely on a conventional landline, then no, it won't work. If they have a "house phone" that staff monitors, or it is the owners number, that are smartphones, then maybe. Whatsapp uses VOIP calling, App to App.

I find that many places in South America (where I travel to frequently) have on website their Whastapp number (feels like everything is on Whatsapp down there). And as some already shared here, enter the phone number on your contacts (with the respective +33). Whatsapp will be able to know if that particular number is connected to a Whatsapp. If it is, you can send message or call using Whatsapp. You could start the conversation with "Parles anglais?".
EDITED: If you end up feeling English is not an option and you can't understand person on other line, I am sure you can find a college student or through your local library to find someone who speaks French to help you when placing the call.

Another idea is to search their reviews online. Sometimes someone else encountered same issue and may have shared a way to contact the place.

And lastly, you could contact your hotel and say you are trying to reach this restaurant for dinner reservations but you only see a phone number available. Maybe they can call on your behalf to get an email address or even make the reservation for you? If a restaurant doesn't have an online presence and doesn't take online reservations, maybe they don't even take reservations at all. Or rely on hotels unless it's somewhere very small at a residential area.

I’ve thoroughly scoured their website and there is no email address. The ”reserve a table” link just leads to a box with a phone number. I’ve also done a google search on contacting them and find nothing but a phone number.

Thank you for the clarifications. I’m going to try to call or text via WhatsApp tomorrow (they’re closed today) during business hours. If they don’t have WhatsApp I guess I’ll need to wait until I get the international phone plan and hope they still have availability at that late date. It’s a very small restaurant open only a few hours each evening.

With the other restaurants I can probably wait until we have the international plan because those dates are further out and in smaller cities.

Thanks!

I live internationally (not in Europe). WhatsApp is a very, very common means of communication internationally. If a restaurant doesn't have a link to reserve, I just will send them a WhatsApp message to ask. I don't call, I just text, and 99.9% of the time this works great.

Ruth, as the others have said, don't bother calling. Just text. It will reach them and just wait for a response. If for some reason it doesn't go through, then that means that they don't have a WhatsApp number, and you wouldn't be able to call them anyway.

If you want to post the names of the restaurants, I'd be happy to check and see if I can find anything. I'm pretty good at digging up stuff online. It comes from years of being a divorce attorney. 😂

Do you have an international calling plan on your primary phone here? If a text on WhatsApp doesn't work, just make the international call, if the reservation is that important to you - obviously call while the restaurant is open. I have Google Voice and international calls are usually pennies per minute from the US to Europe.

Thanks everyone. No, the restaurant does not have an email address nor any link to a reservation platform. Not only have I scoured the website, but I’ve also done extensive web searching and there is only a phone number. I just tried to call on WhatsApp but got a message that the number is not on WhatsApp.

We will not have our international plan until June 1. At that point I can attempt to call them and hope there is still availability on our chosen date. The restaurant is very small.

Also, thanks for the suggestion I contact our hotel and ask if they can make a reservation. I actually plan to email the hotel on May 22 (2 weeks ahead of our scheduled arrival) to make arrangements for luggage storage, so I could certainly ask them at that point. That would give me an extra week+ which might increase the chances we could get in.

Appreciate all the help!

If you want to make a call to a foreign number that's not on WhatsApp, I suggest downloading the Mytello app. It works similarly to how Skype used to- you add a small amount of credit and then you can make calls overseas for just a few cents/minute. Since Skype was shut down this is the best alternative I've found. It works on any phone number, including landlines.

Would your phone plan allow you to place a call to an international number from home before you have your international plan in place? I usually think of the "international plan" as the plan I use when I am abroad, but I can place international calls from the US to another country anytime (at a small surcharge). Perhaps my provider used different terminology than yours.

WhatsApp is super common in France so most restaurants won’t think it’s weird at all. Honestly messaging might even be easier than calling if your French gets shaky mid conversation lol.