Captions, hashtags and replies
Cafe hashtags, pub hashtags and more: what to use and what to skip
Instagram now allows up to five hashtags on a post or reel and says a few targeted tags can do more than lots of generic ones. Here is how to choose local, venue-type and dish hashtags for a cafe, pub, bar or restaurant, with example lists to adapt.
8 min read
The best cafe hashtags, like the best tags for pubs, bars and restaurants, are specific: your town, your type of venue and the thing in the photo. Instagram now allows up to five hashtags on a post or reel, and it says fewer, more targeted tags can do more for a post than lots of generic ones. This guide explains how hashtags work on Instagram today, gives example lists for each type of venue and covers the tags to leave out. We checked Instagram's own guidance on 29 September 2026. It does change, so it is worth a look at the Instagram Help Centre now and then.
How hashtags work on Instagram today
A hashtag is the # sign followed by a word or phrase, with no spaces, such as #SundayRoast. Instagram's Help Centre sets out the basics:
- Tapping a hashtag shows other posts that use it. If your account is public, a post with a hashtag appears in that hashtag's search results. Posts from private profiles do not show up there publicly.
- The order is not simply newest first. Instagram says the factors can include when a post was shared, how people engage with it and whether it meets Instagram's Recommendation Guidelines.
- Some hashtags cannot be searched. Instagram may make a hashtag unsearchable if its text, or the posts using it, keep breaking Instagram's rules.
- Numbers work, spaces and symbols do not. Instagram says spaces and special characters such as $ or % will not work, so stick to letters and numbers: #FishAndChips, not #Fish&Chips.
Five hashtags is now the limit
In December 2025, Instagram's official @creators account announced that posts and reels would be limited to five hashtags, and the Help Centre now says you can use up to five on a post. Alongside the change, Instagram said that using fewer, more targeted hashtags rather than many generic ones can improve both how a post performs and people's experience of the app.
In other words, choose hashtags that are relevant to what you are posting. Generic tags such as #reels or #explore say nothing about your venue or your food, so leave them out.
Hashtags are one signpost among several
People can also search Instagram by keyword to find photos, videos, accounts and places, not just hashtags. So it does no harm to name the dish and your town in plain words in the caption as well.
Hashtags work on Facebook too. Facebook's Help Centre says they turn topics and phrases into clickable links that help people find posts about things they are interested in, and the same rule applies: one word, no spaces, no punctuation or symbols.
Local and venue-type hashtags
Build each set from three layers:
- Place: your town, village, neighbourhood or area. This tells people where you are.
- Venue type or cuisine: cafe, pub, cocktail bar, Indian restaurant, bakery.
- The thing in the photo: the dish, the drink or the event.
Add your venue as the location too. Instagram's help pages say that when people tap the location on a post, they can see it alongside other posts tagged at the same place on the Instagram map. When you are sharing a post, tap Add location, find your venue in the suggestions or search for it, select it, then finish sharing as normal.
The lists below are patterns to adapt, not a claim that any tag is busy or popular. Swap YourTown for your own town or area, and only use a tag when it matches the post.
Cafe hashtags
Tags to pick from: #YourTownCafe #YourTownCoffee #IndependentCafe (if you are one) #FlatWhite #CoffeeAndCake
Pub hashtags
Tags to pick from: #YourTownPub #SundayRoast #PubQuiz #RealAle #YourTownFood
Bar and cocktail bar hashtags
Tags to pick from: #YourTownBar #YourTownCocktails #CocktailBar #EspressoMartini #AlcoholFree (for your alcohol-free drinks)
Keep drinks tags responsible: nothing that celebrates heavy drinking, and nothing aimed at under-18s.
Restaurant hashtags
Good Instagram hashtags for restaurants mix your town with the food:
Tags to pick from: #YourTownRestaurant #YourTownFood #SeasonalMenu #SundayLunch, plus the dish, such as #FishAndChips
Indian restaurant hashtags
Tags to pick from: #YourTownIndian #IndianRestaurant #YourTownCurry #Biryani #Tandoori
Food post hashtags
The best hashtags for Instagram food posts name the dish (#SteakPie, #Brunch, #Tiramisu), the place (#YourTownFood) and, only if it is true, what makes it different (#Homemade, #Vegan).
So what are the best hashtags for Instagram restaurant posts, or for any venue? There is no official list. The best hashtags for restaurants are the ones that describe the post accurately and help the right local people find it.
Tip
Before you use any hashtag, tap it or search for it and look at what is already there. If the posts are unrelated, spammy or not something you would want next to your food, pick another.
How many to use and where to put them
How many: up to five. That is Instagram's limit for a post or reel. Instagram's advice points towards fewer, more targeted tags, but it does not name a perfect number below five, so we will not either. If fewer tags genuinely describe the post, use fewer.
Where: Instagram says you can add hashtags in the caption or in a comment on your post. The caption is usually simpler. The tags go out with the post, which is handy if you schedule posts in advance (our guide to scheduling Instagram posts explains how), and you can edit the caption later if you want to change them. Put them at the end, so your opening line is about the food, not the tags.
How to write them: one word, no spaces or symbols. A capital letter at the start of each word (#SundayRoast rather than #sundayroast) makes longer tags easier to read.
Hashtags to avoid
- Generic tags such as #reels or #explore. They say nothing about your post, and Instagram's advice favours a few targeted tags over many generic ones.
- Anything unrelated to the post. A roast dinner does not need a cocktail tag, however busy that tag looks.
- Tags you have not checked. Tap first, every time. Some tags are used for things you would not want your venue next to.
- Hashtags that cannot be searched. Instagram may make a hashtag unsearchable when its text, or the posts using it, keep breaking Instagram's rules, so there is nothing to gain from using one.
- Tags about heavy drinking, and anything that would appeal to under-18s.
- Another business's own hashtag or campaign tag, unless you are genuinely part of it.
- Extra tags tucked into a comment to squeeze past the limit. Instagram's help page says that if you include more than five tags on a single photo or video, your comment won't post.
What about hashtag generators?
Hashtag generators, including AI tools, can be handy for ideas when you are stuck. Treat what they suggest as a long list to choose from, not a finished set. Keep only the tags that are specific to your post and your place, check each one by tapping it, and stay within five. Instagram's advice to favour targeted tags over generic ones applies whichever tool suggested them.
Keeping a saved list per post type
Choosing tags from scratch every time is slow, and it is how irrelevant ones creep in. Instead, keep a short, checked list for each type of post you share often, in your phone's notes or a shared document your team can see. Mix and match from examples like these:
- Sunday roast: #YourTownPub #SundayRoast #YourTownFood #YorkshirePudding
- Quiz night: #YourTownPub #PubQuiz #QuizNight #YourTownEvents
- Live music: #YourTownLiveMusic #LiveMusic #YourTownPub
- New cocktail: #YourTownCocktails #CocktailBar, plus the drink's name
- Coffee and cake: #YourTownCafe #YourTownCoffee #CoffeeAndCake
- Curry night: #YourTownIndian #CurryNight, plus the dish
Keep each saved list short enough that you can still add a tag about that specific post, such as the dish or the band, without going over five.
Review your lists every season. Swap in seasonal tags (#AutumnMenu, #ChristmasMenu), drop anything that has started attracting odd posts, and check that every tag still matches what you serve.
Tip
Write the caption first and add the hashtags last. Our guides to food and drink captions and coffee captions and quotes have plenty of lines to start from, and our cafe social media ideas guide has more post ideas.
How Cheers helps
Describe a post once and Cheers writes versions for Facebook and Instagram in your venue's own voice, using your tone settings and banned phrases. Every post lands in the planner calendar, where you or your team can edit the caption (and paste in the right hashtag set from your list) before you approve it. Approved posts publish automatically to your Facebook Page and Instagram, with checks before sending and an email alert if anything fails. Weekly recurring posts, such as quiz night or Sunday lunch, save you writing the same post from scratch every week.