Although one of the best parts of traveling is tasting new food from all over the world, it can often be very difficult to find the right place to eat.
You can consult ‘must eat’ lists and travel guides, listen to friends’ recommendations or wander around until something catches your eye, but it’s not easy to determine which one. restaurants are good and which are just tourist traps.
There’s one thing experts say you should never do: use Google.
Yes, it’s easy to simply search for “paella near me” while on holiday in Barcelona, but often this can be misleading. Google search results can be skewed to show you sponsored content, with restaurants paying to appear first.
And while reading reviews from “real people” may seem authentic, it’s quite easy for those reviews to be counterfeited or bought.
That’s not to say Google isn’t a valuable resource when planning your trip, but it shouldn’t be your main resource.
Instead, seasoned travelers say the best way to find meals is “the old-fashioned way.”
Jamie Barys, who launched UnTour Food Tours, says chatting with locals is a surefire way to find a great hidden gem restaurant.
Speak with The Wall Street Journal she says it helps to be specific when asking questions.
“Ask ‘what’s your favorite place to have lunch or dinner, a place where you eat regularly, but where you don’t see many tourists?’.”
“If you’re looking for something special, ask a local where they celebrate special occasions,” she suggests. “Don’t forget to ask for tips on specific dishes to order as well.”
She also points out that you should also think about who you ask.
Your hotel concierge might be full of recommendations aimed at tourists, while a bartender or housekeeper might be more inclined to direct you to a more rewarding local experience.
Please note that sometimes hotel concierge is paid or rewarded for mentioning certain places.
Another expert tip is to open yourself to the possibility that not every meal will be great, but that only makes the excellent ones even better.
Nathan Thornburgh, co-founder of Roads and kingdomstold a food-and-travel publication that organizes food-focused group trips WJ that planning is overrated.
“Give yourself the opportunity to have a bad meal,” Thornburgh said. “It’s like everything in life: risk and reward go together.”
Sometimes the best meal you eat on a trip is one you stumble upon by accident: sheltering from the rain in a taqueria, stumbling upon a pastry shop at 3 p.m. when you’re starving, or finding a tapas restaurant late at night after having a took a wrong turn.