At the table

What if your guest count changes after booking?

Has the number of guests in your Hayat Cihangir booking changed? A short guide to sharing the new total, reviewing a set menu and confirming the change.

Hayat Cihangir · 19.10.2026 · 3 min read

If the guest count for your Hayat Cihangir reservation changes, use the change options provided with your TheFork booking or contact our team by telephone or WhatsApp, referring to the existing booking. Share the date, time, previous guest count and new total in one message. If more people are joining, check that the change can be accommodated before giving your group a definite answer.

Refer to the existing plan rather than making a new request

Plans change in a group of friends: one person cannot come, while another would like to join. Let the person handling the reservation gather the changes first. Having one person send the updated total, rather than everyone messaging the restaurant separately, avoids conflicting information about the same table.

If you booked through TheFork, have the booking details ready and use its change options where available. For telephone or WhatsApp bookings, return to your earlier conversation. If your request has not yet been confirmed, say so. Sharing a new guest count does not automatically turn a pending request into a confirmed reservation.

State the new total clearly

“Two more people might come” and “There will be six of us” are different pieces of information. Distinguish confirmed guests from those still undecided. In your message, give the new total as well as the number being added or removed. That avoids having to reconstruct the count from earlier conversations.

A short message is enough: “Our booking is for the same date and time. We were four and would now like to be six in total. Could you confirm whether that change is possible?” This is a message example, not a promise that a table for six is available. Check with our team.

Review the menu plan along with the numbers

Hayat’s set menus are for groups of at least four. If a group of four becomes three, more than the number of chairs changes: the menu plan needs another look too. Browse the à la carte menu and let our team know your new preferences.

If your group is growing and will still have a set menu, confirm the food and drink allocation for the new total. Do not assume that the sharing arrangements discussed earlier will automatically remain the same. Mention any dietary needs of people joining later too; do not assume that a menu already discussed is suitable for everyone.

Separate later arrivals from the guest count

If one guest is simply arriving later, do not report that as a reduction in numbers. State the total and how many people will arrive at the start separately. If you are sharing food, you can also discuss whether you would like to wait for the later arrival.

Moving the whole gathering to a different time is a separate change. Ask our team whether the new time is available. If you are running late, get in touch once you know the situation rather than assuming the table will be held for a particular length of time.

Send your group one final update

After speaking with the team, share the date, time, confirmed guest count and any revised menu decision with your friends. Sending the complete plan is more useful than simply replying “all sorted” to an earlier message, especially when arrangements have changed several times.

If the gathering is cancelled altogether, say so clearly. A smaller group and a cancelled reservation are different situations. Recheck any special cancellation or change conditions that were agreed, and use the options supplied with your TheFork booking where applicable. You can also reach us through the contact and reservation pages.

A few more questions

Should I make a second booking if the guest count changes?

Refer to your existing booking. Use the change options supplied by TheFork or contact the team by telephone or WhatsApp with the old count and new total. Discuss the change before creating a second booking for the same gathering.

We booked a set menu for four, but now there are three of us. What should we do?

Hayat’s set menus are for groups of at least four. Tell the team the new count and discuss the à la carte options. Do not assume the previous menu arrangement will remain unchanged.

Information and links

Hayat Journal articles are prepared with AI assistance using Hayat Cihangir’s brand guide and verified restaurant information. Please speak to our team about current availability, ingredients and any special requests.