The average adult is willing to spend up to £30 more at restaurants that 'look good' on social media, a recent study has revealed.
A poll of 2,000 adults found that 41 per cent believe one of the best ways to decide if a restaurant is worth visiting is by checking its social media - with the figure rising to 58 per cent for 18-26 year olds.
Diners were reported as being most interested in restaurant interiors (29 per cent), behind the scenes footage (28 per cent), and close-up shots of the food (49 per cent).
Of those who took the poll, approximately 21 percent of the social media posts appearing on their feeds are food and restaurant related.
Another figure showed that 20 percent of people are choosing to dine less than before, but will instead head to spots with a higher price tag when they do.
Kirsty Morris, the managing director at Barclaycard Payments which commissioned the research, commented: 'Our research shows that a quarter of diners look at the menu on social media before ordering. This is just one way the experience is improved for diners, so they can concentrate on getting that perfect, meal-side shot when they’re dining out.
'More and more venues allow you to book, review menus, and even pre-pay via their social media channels. So it’s a sensible move for those in the hospitality industry to keep sharing content and engaging potential visitors.'
Social media channels offer a view into restaurants without spending any money, and work as an effective marketing tool when it comes to reaching a wider audience.
The research found that when looking to book a restaurant, the average adult will spend 40 minutes researching restaurants on social media before deciding on one. While 17 per cent of those using such platforms will sign up to a social media platform purely to find out more about a restaurant.
Can't help but fall for beautiful interiors? You'll probably like our pick of the best Instagrammable restaurants in London in that case.