Food is half the fun of visiting a new place. How boring is it to go to a new city and eat at a restaurant chain that you have back home? There is no excitement in that. Try a few of these tips and expand your restaurant choices while traveling.
Research
The first step for every vacation is to research. You wouldn’t stay in a hotel without researching out the area first. While you are doing that, check out the food options in the neighborhood. Chances are you will find some great places for some of your meals. Knowing the good and bad areas of where you are visiting should affect where you choose to eat.
Talk to Locals
Be friendly and interact with those you meet. Ask for recommendations from the Uber driver, or the concierge at your hotel. Those that live in the area will know of the hidden gems in town and be able to warn you of any overrated restaurants. Eating at the local spots will help you get a better idea of the culture. The touristy places may be useful but lacking the real charm of the area. The reviews you get from those on the street will be more accurate than any advertisement you see.
Apps
Suffering from shyness or not too trusting of strangers, you may need to rely on the many apps out there. Food spotting is one of the many apps that rate different restaurants. The idea behind it is to rate different dishes instead of just a restaurant. People will post actual pictures of the food they were served, not the images that get advertised. Giving you a real idea of what you will be getting if you walk through their doors. They give you the ability to get opinions from people who ate at these different locations. You still may need to research the area, as this is just information on how tasty the dishes are.
Check the Menus
In our digital world, you can find everything. Restaurants post menus online. We have the opportunity to see what they have available before showing up. A fantastic review means nothing if they don’t serve the type of food that you like or are willing to eat. If you don’t check online, ask for a menu before you are seated. Don’t waste your time waiting for a place that doesn’t have the food you enjoy. It will also give you a chance to see how expensive they are. The worst possible circumstance would be overpaying for food that you did not enjoy!
Be Adventurous
Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Try the local cuisine. Go searching and find some mysterious hole in the wall establishments and give them a try. Hopefully, you will have a great story to take home and a new favorite dish to share.
Enjoy traveling and eating your way through a new city!