Restaurant owners ask us this more than almost anything else. The honest answer is that there is no number that works everywhere. A cafe in a small country town might lead its area with 60 reviews. A restaurant on a busy dining strip might need several hundred just to be in the conversation. What you need depends on who you are up against.
Here is how to work out your own number, and how to get there without risking your listing.
Why reviews matter so much for restaurants
Google uses three things to decide which places to show for a local search: relevance, distance and prominence. Reviews are a big part of prominence. They also decide what happens after someone sees you. People compare the star rating and the number of reviews in the map list before they tap anything, and Google Maps lets them filter out anything under 4.0 or 4.5 stars.
So reviews do two jobs at once: they help you appear, and they help you get chosen once you do.
Work out your number in 10 minutes
- On your phone, search for the two or three phrases that matter most to you, for example "cafe [suburb]", "brunch [suburb]" or "indian restaurant [suburb]".
- Write down the review count and rating of the top three places for each search.
- Take the average review count of those places. That is your target range.
- Subtract your current count. Divide the gap by the number of months you are willing to give it. That is your monthly target.
For example, if the top three average 500 reviews and you have 200, the gap is 300. At 25 new reviews a month, you close it in a year. You will usually start moving up well before you match them, because reviews are only one factor.
You don't always need to match the leaders
Desi Adda in Surfers Paradise is a good example. Two of the Indian restaurants Google shows next to it have around 8,000 and 12,000 reviews. Desi Adda had about 890 by September 2026, yet it appeared 2nd for "indian restaurant surfers paradise". A well-kept profile, steady new reviews and replies, and a website that backs up the listing closed most of the gap that raw review count alone would suggest.
The lesson: get within range of your competitors, keep reviews coming every month, and do the rest of the profile work properly. Our Google Maps top 3 checklist covers the other pieces.
Want your review target worked out for you?
Send us your restaurant's name and suburb. We'll compare your reviews and rating with the three places that beat you on Google, and tell you exactly what to aim for. Free.
Get a free restaurant checkRecent reviews count more than old ones
A restaurant with 600 reviews whose newest is four months old looks quieter than one with 300 reviews and five from this week. Customers notice, and so does Google. Aim for a steady flow every month rather than a big push once a year.
How to get more reviews (the right way)
- Ask in person. Staff asking regulars at the counter or when they pay works better than any sign or email.
- Make it one tap. Put a QR code on table cards, receipts and the counter that opens your Google review form directly.
- Ask everyone. Google doesn't allow "review gating", where you only send happy customers to Google.
- Never pay or reward. No discounts, free coffees or competition entries for reviews. It breaks Google's rules, and the ACCC in Australia and the FTC in the US both act against fake and incentivised reviews.
- Reply to all of them. A short, specific reply shows the next customer that someone is paying attention.
Our guide on getting more Google reviews has wording you can give your staff.
What about rating?
Count gets you seen. Rating gets you chosen. Keep above 4.0 at an absolute minimum, because of the Maps filters, and treat anything under 4.3 as a sign to look at what the reviews are actually saying. Fixing the issue people keep mentioning, whether it is slow weekend service or cold chips, does more for your rating than any review campaign.
FAQs
Is there a minimum number of Google reviews to rank on Maps?
No. Google doesn't publish a minimum, and a restaurant with a few dozen reviews can rank in a quiet area. What matters is how you compare with the places around you for the same search, along with how relevant your listing is and how close you are to the person searching.
Do more Google reviews mean a higher ranking?
Review count and rating are part of what Google calls prominence, one of the three things it uses for local results. More reviews generally help, but they are not the only factor. A complete profile, a relevant primary category and a website that backs up your listing all count too.
What Google rating should a restaurant aim for?
Above 4.0 at the very least, because Google Maps lets people filter results to 4.0 stars and up, and 4.5 and up. Most well-run cafes and restaurants sit between 4.3 and 4.7. A perfect 5.0 from a handful of reviews tends to look less believable than a 4.6 from several hundred.
Can I offer a discount for Google reviews?
No. Google's policies don't allow incentives for reviews, and they don't allow asking only happy customers either. Consumer law matters too: Australia's ACCC and the US FTC both act against fake and incentivised reviews. Ask everyone, offer nothing in return, and let the reviews be honest.
How quickly can a restaurant get more Google reviews?
Asking in person at the counter or table, with a QR code that opens your review page, can bring in 20 or more reviews a month for a busy cafe. Steady numbers every month are better than a burst, because Google and customers both look at how recent your reviews are.