Looking for some travel tips for foodies to pick the best restaurant during your next vacation? You are in the right place! Keep reading and never fell into tourist traps again!
Traveling and discovering new cultures also involve trying new foods and getting to know the culinary culture of the place you are visiting. But how can you make sure you are trying the very best food and are not walking into a tourist trap? Thanks to these Travel Tips For Foodies, you will soon be an expert at finding the very best restaurants to eat during your trips!
This post highlights the best travel tips for foodies to help you find the best restaurants to eat while traveling!
FINDING THE BEST RESTAURANTS ON GOOGLE MAPS
I know, I am not teaching you anything new here. But there is a whole process to find a good local restaurant on Google Maps. It is not just about looking up and picking one out. Hear me out!
- Select the area you are going to visit and where you will be looking for food.
- Choose the kind of food you want to try. I believe that if you are a real travel foodie, you will want to try local cuisine. And I believe that’s always the best option. (You can’t expect an amazing Italian style pizza if you are traveling through Africa. The same way, it would be hard to find good African cuisine in Italy. It is just common sense.)
- Take a look at the reviews. And here is the trick! Look at the reviews from locals. A place can have a thousand good reviews from tourists, it doesn’t equal a hundred good reviews from locals. They know what their local dishes are supposed to taste like. And if they like it, there is a reason!
However, there is a limit to the use of Google Maps… In some countries, and especially third-world countries, you won’t find the smallest ones on Google Maps. And, I know from experience, they are often the cheapest and serve the best food.
Which leads you to your second travel tips for foodies!
EAT WHERE LOCALS EAT
When you are traveling to a new country or a new city, you don’t always know locals. And some of us are not the chatty-kind that will speak to everyone and connect quickly with new people. Don’t worry, if you are a shy traveler, I have a few tips for you to find the best places to eat anyway!
- If you are staying in a hotel, ask the receptionist. They are here not only to give you your key when you check in, but also to help you have the best stay possible. And what’s better than a happy belly to have a good time? Tell them what you are looking for, your budget, the area… Everything! And they will be more than happy to help you.
- No receptionist or people to ask advice from around you? No problem! Just open your eyes! While wandering down the streets of this new place you are visiting, try to spot where locals eat. I said it before, and I’ll say it again… If they eat there, it’s probably because they like it. And if they like it, it is because the local cuisine is good there!
The only issue with these two techniques is that you will have to wait until you get to your destination to find out the best places to eat. And I know some of you are planners. So if you want to plan all your meals before leaving for your vacation, you can either use Google Maps or take a look at the next travel tips for foodies I have for you!
CHECK SOCIAL MEDIAS AND YOUR FAVORITE INFLUENCERS
Nowadays, traveling and finding places of interest has become so much easier thanks to social medias and influencers. It has good and bad sides, but that’s another debate… To find great places to eat or have a drink, it can be a really powerful tool!
Here is how I like to use social medias to find the best places to eat while traveling!
- You have been following a travel or food influencer for a long time now, and you trust them, or follow someone who is from the place you are visiting? Take a look at their profile to see if they recommend any specific place. You can also try to DM them but depending on the size of their account they won’t even see your message. Check if they are following any restaurant or place in the area too. I know it sounds a bit like stalking, but everything to have the best food experience while abroad!
- Use social medias as a search engine and look for restaurants or specific foods in the area you are traveling to and scroll through the publications. Read the comments, look at the places’ following, their pictures, their promotions… Just do a little detective work!
ASK FELLOW TRAVELERS FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS
In the end, asking fellow travelers for their recommendations is more or less the same as asking your favorite influencers. And as these people you meet traveling don’t have a following or won’t get paid to tell you whether you should eat somewhere, their answer might be more honest.
Their bad experience could help you avoid it, and they can share their good ones with you! Really, there is no downside of asking a fellow traveler for their recommendations. And you could even make new friends along the way!
TAKE A LOOK AT OTHER BLOGS
Last but not least of my travel tips for foodies blog post: TAKE A LOOK AT OTHER BLOGS!
And I’m not saying that just because I am a blogger, promise! Since I have started traveling, I have always checked other blogs for recommendations and tips. And it helped me so much to plan my trips! So do the same!
You have a ton of blogs out there. Whether they will tell you what food you should try, what restaurant you should go to, or the best countries for foodies, you will learn something from them!
Here are my TOP 3 Travel Food Blogs to read:
YOU ARE NOW READY TO APPLY ALL THESE TRAVEL TIPS FOR FOODIES AND PLAN THE VACATION YOUR BELLY DREAMS OF!
In the meantime, take a look at the best European destinations for foodies and the food you must try in Ecuador!