7 killer tips to help you find good restaurants on vacation
A Luxury Travel Blog‘s quick guide to some of the tell-tale signs when trying to find a good place to eat out on vacation.
The good…
1. Find a restaurant with locals. That’s usually a good starting point.
2. Find a restaurant that’s fully booked. OK, so you might not be able to get a table – but book for the following evening.
3. Check the menu (and the wine list). Is what they’re serving in season?
The bad…
1. Avoid restaurants that have a waiter beckoning you as you walk by. It’s not a good sign and suggests, if anything, that you are just in the wrong part of town. A good restaurant will fill its tables because of the quality of the food, and not on the ability of a ‘catcher’.
2. Restaurants that are close to major tourist landmarks. You’ll usually be better off finding a little backstreet a bit further away for a more authentic experience.
The ugly…
1. Chicken and chips… no, no, no! Same goes for burgers, etc. (unless, perhaps, you’re in the US).
2. Menus with flags for every nationality.
Please add your own views or tips by posting a comment. Thank you.
Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.
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This posting really made me laugh – but it’s so true! Usually if someone comes out and tries to drag me in, I run away in the opposite direction.
Hmm, I don’t know about the fully booked point. Yes, for an established restaurant but maybe not for a newer place. The best recommendations are spread by word of mouth and sometimes the news about a terrific new place takes a little while to get around. I’ll be telling you about one in Kuala Lumpur soon.
Duly noted!
Just wanted to say I think your blog posts are the epitome of travel! My new found inspiration for my blog!
After traveling for a while, I usually just want to find something familiar that tastes good, the same way you can with 5 dollars and 10 minutes in the States. The best way to find this is to look for restaurants run by expats. It will usually be clear which ones they are. Whereas restaurants run by locals and catering to tourists are just trying to make a buck, these restaurants are often started by people who were in your situation. A foreigner living in a strange place who couldn’t find a decent hamburger anywhere. You’ll be likely to get a good meal at a fair price, and it’s nice to take a break from adventure for half an hour every once in a while.
Word of mouth is great, but you can find them by accident! we discovered a great restuarant in Arrowtown because we saw the chef reciepe book in another winery and we went to try it out and it was amazing!!! your travel agent should also have some great recommendations.
Excellent advice for any category of travel. Of course if looking for a gourmet restaurant, I would refer to the Michelin Guide or similar.
Another recommendation: Never visit a Restaurant thats recommended by the lonely planet (or other guidebooks). Maybe someone whose place is listed in the lonely planet immediately sells his restaurant to some “we’re only in it for the money” people. At least my experience…
good tips i always find word of mouth from other travellers is good too
The idea of finding a good restaurant in a new place is always difficult, these articles should help us choose a good restaurant that will provide us with the experience of the country that is what we are all looking for, to know the culinary experience in each country is enriching