8 tips for finding an excellent restaurant
When you’re new in town it’s an exciting opportunity to discover fascinating places to eat, those places that will define your vacation, provide you a local cuisine experience and stay a wonderful memory. That said, it may also be an experience riddled with disappointment if you choose a bad’un.
With that in mind, Fine Dining Lovers offers a number of ideas for how to select a Best restaurant and brewery worth going beyond the threshold, where you are sure to be rewarded with a wonderful supper, for all the right reasons.
1. Early bird gets the booking
Head out early in the morning — we enjoy nothing more than peeping through the kitchen door of restaurants in the morning to check which ones are bursting with life and to grab a scent of excellent stock cooking away. The eateries that are alive and kicking early, the ones prepping stock, making bread and chopping veg are the restaurants you want to book for lunch or supper. Those that wake an hour before service and scurry to clean, prep and prepare before the first customers come are typically to be avoided.
Have the tables been cleared away, the floors swept, and the establishment generally kept in good condition so that it may be reopened the following morning if you happen to stroll by after service?
2. Initial impressions matter
Does the establishment have a distinct identity? Does the restaurant know what it is? Does the message flow from the name and branding to the interior design? Keep in mind that simplicity is typically ideal.
Are the windows, awnings, plants, and any outside seating spaces kept up and in excellent shape? Is the building’s façade tidy and welcoming? A restaurant’s exterior should raise suspicions about its inside if it has been neglected.
Are the Michelin or restaurant guide labels on the door new, or is the establishment still basking in the glory of its ten-year-old accolades and good old days?
3. Maintain cleanliness
Obviously, basic hygiene is important. Are glasses gleaming and tables spotless? Are the restrooms cleaned up well and won’t make you want to leave? Similarly, using potent air fresheners or forceful cleaning solutions that linger in the air is really unappealing, particularly in a fish restaurant.
4. The first guideline
The remainder of the dinner is typically determined by the first item placed on the table. The first taste of food at the table sets the tone; whether it’s a soggy or stale slice of bread or some shoddy breadsticks, the rest of the dinner is likely to follow like. A delicious supper is virtually a given if the bread basket is filled with freshly made treats. Although there are few exceptions to this rule, it is unquestionably helpful when attempting to observe and evaluate via a restaurant window.
5. Use your eyes when eating
Avoiding the use of technology when looking for a restaurant in a new place would be foolish. When looking for recommendations in a new location, Google Maps is a fantastic tool, and our very own City Tasting Tours are also quite helpful.
Look up “restaurants near me” and select the top-rated option, but don’t assume the ranking is accurate because many establishments manipulate the review system by posting phony evaluations. Keep an eye out for establishments with a high average rating and a sizable number of reviews. The idea is to click on each one and examine the items that are available. How are they presented? How is the menu description? Do they use parsley garnishes like they’re from the 1980s, or are the plates fresh and modern? When traveling, this is one of the finest methods to gain a sense of a new city. When you combine this technique with the above early bird step, you’ll soon discover the best spots in town. They say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but they also claim that we eat with our eyes, and it’s undoubtedly true.
Use social media: Instagram and TikTok are excellent sources for up-to-date images and comments from recent visitors.
Even before you get to a city, you may begin. To find out what and where local cooks are dining in town, as well as whose restaurants and chefs they follow, start following them on social media.
6. The size of the menu
Another dead giveaway for a restaurant is the length of the menu: menus with 19 pages and 15 distinct meals for each continent should always be avoided. Without industrial-style production and several microwaves, no kitchen can produce that many different dishes. Look for a menu that is well-written, well-considered, and, most of all, constantly changing. If a restaurant’s website or social media pages indicate that they frequently modify their menu, this is typically a positive indication. Another thing to look for is seasonal items on the menu.
Outside the restaurant’s door, the menu should be visible to establish the mood for your visit. It should ideally be straightforward, avoid being too wordy, ambitious, or arrogant, and include ingredients that are sourced locally. A cook with greater skill may be suggested by more daring ingredients.
7. The passing
Once or twice, take a leisurely stroll past! Take a look at the food and the professionalism of the establishment. Check to see if there is a sense of energy and teamwork among the employees, as they have the power to make or ruin a dining experience.
Additionally, you will be able to determine whether the atmosphere is formal and stiff or casual and bistro-style. To have a chance of fulfilling your expectations, match the style to your mood.
8. Management of crowds
Is it crowded, and does it get crowded with locals at the appropriate times of day? This is the place you want to visit if you are unable to make a reservation on a Tuesday night. Ask the locals as well. Ask your taxi driver, hotel owner, receptionist, and the amiable person you met on the plane instead of attempting to gauge how local a crowd is.