Amy E Nutt asked:


One of the most loved activities when on a vacation is dining at restaurants. Most people enjoy trying new food at the local cuisines. When on vacation, it can often be a bit of a chore to find the most popular and high-quality restaurants. Not every place has a high standard of restaurant health laws, so one has to make sure they do not eat somewhere and end up getting very ill. Not only would it be a miserable experience, but it would ruin the vacation. It is important to have a good idea of what type of restaurant you will be dining at before you actually sit down and order.

Below is a list of tips that will help you choose a quality restaurant on your next vacation:

1. The Hotel staff is usually made up of local residents so they can provide you with information about the best restaurants in the area. They will also know of the various types of restaurants such as Mexican, Italian-etc.

2. Hotels usually carry local tourist guide books that are filled with valuable information about restaurants. If they do not have a guidebook, check the local tourist bureau. Guidebooks will often contain restaurant reviews.

3. If you ask the locals in the area, they will know all of the best restaurants to eat. You can ask store staff, local bar staff, taxi driver-etc. They can also let you know about the costs and if it is a formal or informal restaurant.

4. You can also walk or drive around to find restaurants. Many restaurants post their menus in the front so you can browse to see if there is anything you like. Avoid restaurants with unattractive and unprofessional menus. If you are concerned about the cleanliness of the restaurant, check out the washrooms. If they are dirty, then that may be a reflection of the quality of the restaurant. If the restaurant has tables outside, walk near the tables and steal a peek at what people are eating. Do the customers look happy? Does their food look tempting? If the restaurant is full of tourists or quite expensive, then it will most likely cater to tourists. You should also note how many people are actually dining at the restaurant. If there are not that many people dining, you may want to keep looking.

5. You can also do some online research. There are many websites and blogs that contain information about restaurants. Some sites even post restaurant reviews. As well, some sites will have pictures of the inside of the restaurant.

6. When you enter a restaurant, look for grimy walls, dirty floors, and anything else that may appear unsanitary. As well, look at the wait staff’s uniforms. Are they clean and pressed?

When on vacation, people want to relax, take in the sights, and enjoy quality food. By taking the time to learn how to find a great restaurant, you will spend much less of your vacation wandering around looking for a good place to eat.

Kristien Wilkinson asked:


So deciding where to have dinner may not exactly qualify as one of humanity’s most crucial choices but it doesn’t mean that you should just pig out at the nearest dining dumpster either. Food, after all, is not merely a physiological necessity; it also happens to be one of life’s greatest pleasures and should be thoroughly enjoyed in the best possible manner. Thus, it is only appropriate that the choice of a restaurant be given its rightful consideration.

Let’s start off with the basics. One of the most important criteria in choosing a dining spot is cleanliness. Before even bothering with star rating, a restaurant must at least pass sanitary requirements. You don’t want to worry about intestinal disorders while having dinner, do you? Be wary of flies hovering around, messy tables, stinky smells, or spilled food stuck on the floor. A filthy bathroom is a very bad sign. If a restaurant doesn’t look clean in the areas you can see, then imagine the sanitary conditions in the areas you can’t see, like the kitchen for instance.

Another indicator of the quality of a dining establishment is the number of its customers. Restaurants who have a steady stream of diners are more likely able to provide good food and great service. You may also ask your friends for recommendations. It is also helpful to consult restaurant reviews for a more professional opinion. Keep in mind though that the respectable opinion of your friends and the food critics in your local newspaper are based on their own palates and may not agree with your own unique taste.

If the dinner you’re planning happens to be a romantic date or an important business meeting, it would be worth your while to conduct your own reconnaissance of the restaurant. Befriend the bartender or the maître d’. Check out the menu and the wine list. Take note of the lighting, amount of noise, and interior design. And make sure to make a quick trip to the restroom before you leave. Of course, it’s not always possible to make an advanced personal inspection of each restaurant you want to eat at but doing so would definitely increase the certainty of an excellent meal.

These days, most restaurants, especially the fancy ones, already maintain their own websites. These sites usually feature the menu, house specialties, wine selections, additional services, and some even cater to online reservations. There are also sites which contain comprehensive listings and reviews of dining spots in a particular city or community. With the wealth of resources about restaurants on the internet, it’s much easier for you to check out the eateries in your area without having to step out of the house.

Finally, your choice of a dining spot ultimately depends on the kind of dining experience you want to have. Are you aiming for a gastronomic adventure or would you prefer a more familiar and comfortable dinner? Do you want to taste a specific cuisine? Or a certain specialty perhaps? Your particular preferences, as well as those of your dining companion/s of course, are invaluable in coming up with that all-important decision of choosing where to eat.