You might say, ‘Choosing a restaurant – no big deal’. But it indeed is a big deal if you are unfamiliar with the locality. It happens mostly when traveling, when you are in the middle of the street and suddenly experience hunger pangs. You surely might feel like running into the nearest restaurant on the street.
But make no mistake….you may either be thanking your lucky stars later, or never ever think of eating out again. After all, there can be nothing as bad an experience like paying good money for bad food. It’s a tricky situation when you are traveling to a new destination and apart from being unfamiliar with the place, also do not speak or understand the local language.
Although there are no written rules to finding and choosing the right restaurant; however, here are a few pointers that will help you take the right decision.
ü Check the menu. Make sure to check the menu displayed outside a restaurant for determining if you want to eat there or not. It is preferable to opt for a restaurant that serves a single cuisine instead of a multi-cuisine restaurant (especially in small restaurants in Europe). The reason being there are maximum chances for restaurant serving local cuisine to be authentic in taste; which otherwise in the case of multi-cuisine restaurant cannot be guaranteed.
ü Check for cleanliness. A fairly clean restaurant with a good ambience can be considered to have a clean kitchen as well.
ü Smell of Freshly cooked food. You may consider going into a restaurant if you can smell freshly cooked food and the fragrance of baked breads. If you can’t smell food, then the restaurant either serves pre-cooked micro-waved food or has excellent ventilation.
ü Popularity. Although this factor is one of the most trusted by travelers in choosing a restaurant; you may not always be right. Because, there might be several factors leading to the popularity like cheap food, busy location or even a pretty waitress.
However, one thing you need to keep in mind before choosing a restaurant is not to go by the exterior appearance. Seek the recommendations of friends and it is often safer to go to a restaurant crowded by the locals. At least, the food will be edible, cheap and fresh. Also, make sure to ask the waiter in the local restaurant to help you choose the menu, or you might end up choosing a disastrous meal and also end up paying for that.