These clues should alert you before you go inside or sit down on the terrace of a restaurant.
When traveling in France or abroad, testing the local gastronomy is one of the essential activities at lunch or dinner time. But how do you find the rare gem without falling into a tourist trap? Finding a good restaurant when you’re on vacation is not always easy. No need for a travel guide or to consult online reviews on your smartphone, you just need to have a sense of observation.
A few clues in the storefront or as you approach the restaurant can give you a clue, without even having to pull out your smartphone to watch for the famous “reviews” of previous customers. Among these signs, three crucial clues should make you run away immediately: Firstly, a menu that is too long and all-encompassing.
Before entering the restaurant, study the menu displayed at the entrance in detail. A restaurant that offers local dishes but not only: pizzas, burgers, sushi, seafood… It’s frankly dodgy. Quantity often means poor quality. In addition, if the prices are very low, it’s because the quality is definitely poor. If you want to eat a local dish, then head to a specialized restaurant that only offers 5 to 8 different dishes on its menu.
Restaurant staff accost customers in the street? While you are strolling down the street, the staff of the restaurant you are hesitating in front of calls out to you and invites you to sit down… This second clue undeniably indicates that you are located near a tourist trap address. A quality restaurant owner does not need to shout in the street that his food is good, he builds his reputation with word of mouth and his regularly updated menu!
Finally, if the restaurant is located in a very touristy area, around a monument, on a large tourist square, on a famous avenue, the restaurateurs will not redouble their efforts to offer quality food because the geographical location ensures good occupancy, and what is more, they are often overworked.
Even if there are exceptions, it is wiser to move a few meters away to avoid getting ripped off, by taking parallel or adjacent streets, but above all less crowded… You can find nice surprises there and restaurants less focused on the occupancy rate of a huge but expensive terrace. Do you have other tips and advice to share? Feel free to comment on this article on our Facebook page. You can also share it with your friends via the red button below.