There's no universal rule, but most restaurants benefit from refreshing their core photography once a year, with smaller updates whenever the menu itself changes. Photos age faster than owners expect — lighting trends, plating styles and even camera quality all shift over a few years.
The clearest trigger is a menu change. Any time a dish is added, removed or re-plated, its photo should be updated too — a photo of a dish that no longer looks like what's served is one of the fastest ways to lose a guest's trust.
A second trigger is a change in venue: a renovation, new lighting, new tableware or a new dining room layout all make older ambiance photos feel out of date, even if the food itself hasn't changed.
Seasonal menus deserve their own mini-refresh — even four to six new seasonal dishes photographed properly can keep a menu or Instagram feeling current without the cost of a full re-shoot.
As a rule of thumb: if you'd hesitate to post a photo on Instagram today because it looks 'old', it's already overdue for an update everywhere else it appears too — menu, delivery apps, and website alike.