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opentable-mcp

by chrischall
OverviewSchemaSourceRelated ServersDiscussionsAdmin
TypeScript
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opentable_book_preview

Preview a booking before committing to it: review the cancellation policy and saved payment card, and get the booking token needed to complete the reservation.

Instructions

Preview an OpenTable booking BEFORE committing. Fetches the /booking/details SSR page and the slot-lock to surface: the cancellation policy (including any credit-card no-show fee), the saved payment card that would be charged/held, and a short-lived booking_token that opentable_book consumes. REQUIRED for CC-required slots — opentable_book refuses to commit without the token. Safe to call for standard slots too (the token skips a redundant re-lock in book). Holds the slot for ~60-90s; preview → book should happen within a minute. For Listing-type restaurants (Le Bernardin, etc.) this tool can't fetch a slot at all — callers should check opentable_get_restaurant.bookable first and surface the restaurant's phone/URL instead. For Experience-mandatory slots (find_slots returned booking_type=experience_mandatory), pass experience_id from the slot's experience_ids to route through the Experience slot-lock. Slots that charge the card at booking (a Deposit policy, or a prepaid/priced Experience) are refused with a link to book on opentable.com directly.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
dateYesYYYY-MM-DD
timeYesHH:MM (24h) — must match a slot returned by find_slots
slot_hashYesslot_hash from opentable_find_slots
party_sizeYes
experience_idNoFor Experience-mandatory slots: which experience to book (from slot.experience_ids). Required when find_slots returned an Experience slot.
restaurant_idYes
dining_area_idNoOptional dining-area (room) id. When omitted, auto-resolved to the default dining area from OpenTable's booking-details page — so you can go straight from find_slots to book without calling opentable_get_restaurant. Pass explicitly only to pin a specific room.
experience_idsNoPass-through from find_slots.experience_ids. When non-empty, experience_id must also be set.
database_regionNoOpenTable's sharded-database region for the restaurant. Defaults to 'NA' (North America). Pass the venue's region (e.g. for UK/EU/APAC restaurants) when booking or cancelling outside North America — slot-lock, availability, and cancel route to the wrong database shard, or fail opaquely, when this is wrong. LIMITATION: not auto-derived from restaurant data (OpenTable's availability/booking responses don't surface the shard id), so non-NA bookings must set it explicitly.
reservation_tokenYesslot_availability_token from opentable_find_slots

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed1 schema field changedv1.0.0
    • changedInput schema / $schema
      Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"
  2. First observedv0.14.3

TDQS

A4.9/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations only say readOnly=false, idempotent=false, destructive=false, so the description carries the full burden and delivers: it discloses the slot-lock side effect, the ~60-90s hold, the token's effect of skipping re-lock in opentable_book, and refusal behavior for deposit/prepaid slots. Nothing is hidden or contradictory.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is long but every sentence earns its place: purpose, required-use, side-effect timing, unsupported categories, special routing, and refusal behavior. It is front-loaded with the core purpose and then delivers decision-relevant details in a logical order with zero filler.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a 10-parameter tool with no output schema, the description covers the essential preconditions, side effects, special cases, and alternatives. It explains the booking flow, token lifetime, Listing-type limitation, Experience-mandatory handling, and deposit/prepaid refusal, leaving an agent with enough context to call the tool correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 80%, so the baseline is 3. The description adds value beyond the schema by explaining how experience_id routes through the Experience slot-lock, how reservation_token relates to the returned booking_token, and why dining_area_id can be auto-resolved. It does not need to repeat every schema field, and the coverage is already high.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description states a specific verb ('Preview') and resource ('OpenTable booking') with a clear outcome: surfaces cancellation policy, saved payment card, and a short-lived booking_token consumed by opentable_book. It distinguishes itself from opentable_book by framing itself as the pre-commit step that produces the token required for CC-required slots.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description explicitly says when the tool is REQUIRED (CC-required slots), when it is safe but optional (standard slots), when it cannot work (Listing-type restaurants, directing callers to check opentable_get_restaurant.bookable), and how to handle Experience-mandatory slots via experience_id. It also names the alternative path of booking on opentable.com for refused cases.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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