Project Overview
Embassy Restaurant in Siem Reap is a celebrated fine dining experience with a loyal following, delicious food, a great ambiance and an all-female team. So, we thought it was suitable to have one of our female designers take the lead on this project!
As a client from our very first day, it was time to refresh their website without losing what already worked well for them. The site was about 8 years old, but it was still performing and driving bookings. The design needed a refresh as it had become a little outdated.
The site ranks very highly for “fine dining in Siem Reap”. Protecting that position was vital while modernising design, improving speed, and streamlining bookings.
If you need a refined website design refresh that keeps your hard-won SEO intact, speak to Olive & Lake and we will guide you through it.
We brief was simple:
- Retain and build on existing rankings
- Make instant bookings simple and reliable
- Showcase cuisine and atmosphere through strong visuals
- Create a better way to manage seasonal Chef’s Menus
Design Approach
We kept the design clean, so images take centre stage. Large photography, subtle colour, and generous spacing let the food do the talking.
The typography is elegant and readable. Sections are focused and free of clutter. On mobile, content stacks naturally with quick paths to menus, reviews, and booking.
We prioritised speed with optimised images, lean code, and careful loading of third-party scripts. The result feels light, polished, and purposeful.
The client wanted a different navigation. Instead of the normal navigation at the top of the page, they wanted the navigation to be at the bottom of the page with the menu and reserve buttons easily accessible across all pages on all devices.
Challenges & Solutions
SEO came first. We audited every URL, meta tag, and internal link so nothing valuable was lost during the redesign.
- Created a full redirect map with 301s to preserve authority
- Retained key content and headings for target keywords
- Improved Core Web Vitals through image optimisation and script control
The team needed an easy way to publish new Chef’s Menus without harming SEO. We built a custom post type with clear fields and rules.
- Current menu is always featured in navigation and key pages
- Previous menus stay live in an archive for long tail traffic
- Consistent slugs and schema keep search engines confident
Bookings had to be instant and dependable. We integrated the SpicyChef booking engine with a smooth handover and clear calls to action. Tracking captures booking events for accurate reporting.
Key Features
Some of the main features include:
- Live reviews via TrustIndex to display recent guest feedback
- SpicyChef Booking Engine integration for instant reservations
- Custom post type for Chef’s Menus with featured current menu and archived past menus
- Performance focused build with optimised images and deferred scripts
- Analytics and conversion tracking to measure bookings and enquiries
Results
The new site is fast, clean, and well optimised. Rankings held steady through launch and subsequent weeks, even improving on some keywords. Visibility for fine dining searches in Siem Reap remains strong.
Guests can view the latest menu, read live reviews, and book in seconds. The team can publish seasonal menus without affecting SEO, saving time and preserving history. The website is easy to navigate, reserve a table and guests can quickly find contact information.
Reflections and Takeaway
When rebuilding an established site, “do no harm” is the golden rule. It’s important not to have a negative effect on traffic and user experience. We have to improve performance, refine content, and protect rankings. 301 redirects are essential, and content structure matters as much as design.
If you are planning a redesign and want to safeguard SEO while upgrading user experience and bookings, Olive & Lake can help. Get in touch for a consultation and we will map a clean path from old to new without losing momentum.