How to find Spots in a new City
If you are slightly similar to me, you like also travel for food and like to explore it while travelling. Now the big question is how do you decide where to actually go? Over the years I accumulated a few tips and strategies that made this decision a bit simpler. While the following guide is mostly designed for food and drinks, some also applies to generally find out what to do.
As far as cocktail bars go, most places are pretty well connected. Just go to one you might like, enjoy the evening and ask for recommendations, especially for different cities. Similarly this holds also for most of the gastro world. I have got the best recommendations this way when travelling, although you will generally get recommendations similar to their style or personal preference. On the same vain if you know people in those cities, assuming you trust their food recommendations, just ask.
Google Maps is probably the best option if you are in the craving for a certain type of food. Though reviews only tell you so much. I've been to places with relatively low ratings and really good food where people complained about things you don't care about. That happens a lot in tourist areas or when they offer delivery. On the other hand, I have had highly rated places that turned out to be mediocre at best. This usually happens when there is not much competition for that type of restaurant, for example in small towns. Also keep in mind that countries use the stars differently. 3 stars in Japan is likely to be fine, in Germany not so much. Or a 4,8 star place in Japan might be mostly rated by tourists (not necessary bad, just something to keep in mind).
This is one of the 3 star reviews, that convinced me to go to a restaurant
Lately I have been noticing that Google Maps does not show all the places when searching for the restaurant type, even when it is clearly correctly labelled. Which is quite frustrating. Also keep in mind that some countries, might use other platforms for ratings.
Most of the bigger cities have subreddits which can be a decent, generally works if you are looking for more casual and popular spots. Sometimes you can find the occasional post that is a real gem.
The days of written guides seem to be largely over, but sometimes they still exist and when actually written by people that care, are really awesome. For example, Noma in Kyoto was probably the best guide to finding consistently good spots and what to do.
If you are open to gamble, checking for new openings and newcomer/local awards, is a good option. I found some gems with that technique. Checking the top 50 best bars list works well, though some places are impossible to get in without a reservation in advance. Using the non star recommendations in the Michelin guide works, though its generally more on the pricey side for food. Sometimes there are local blogs, those require often some digging, are written in the local language and you need to gauge their interests and price.
Social media can be hit or miss. If it's going viral you should probably avoid it (long wait times and expensive for no reason), if it's a recommendation from industry people it's often better. Following places you already like will also help you find new recommendations. The big downside is that building lists this way takes time and doesn't really work when you're going to new cities.
When it comes to publishing, often things are pay to play and ratings need to taken with a heavy grain of salt. However, if you can find a place where you can generally trust their recommendations, it's really useful.
When I am on holiday, I like to walk around the neighbourhood and see where people go or what I find interesting. Then I mark it on the map, look up what it is later and go back. A great neighbourhood often has not that many reviews, but is full. Basically, this has never failed me. However, it does not work for places in hidden areas, such as, ones that are not on the ground floor, which you are guaranteed to miss.
Sometimes it's easier to define what disqualifies a place; if you're reading this, I probably don't need to tell you, but here is my list:
- Prominently displayed menus that are not in the native language. In international cities, English is quite common, but even then, if it is the only one, I would be cautious.
- People in front are trying to convince you to go inside.
- The place has a lot of negative reviews, which are actually about the food and sometimes the service.
- It has a long wait time, then it is probably not worth waiting for. Note that a long queue does not always mean a long wait, and vice versa.
- Located near major tourist attractions and main streets. Not necessarily bad, but you often pay a high price for the location. Still can be worth it for places with a really good view.
- The restaurant offers the cuisine of another country, but no one from that country actually eats there.
- It is empty when it should be busy. If a normal restaurant is empty on a Friday or Saturday, I would be wary, especially if the surrounding restaurants are full. However, there are a few caveats. Firstly, every restaurant has its own busy time: a lunch place in a business district is different from a fine dining restaurant, people go out for dinner at different times. Secondly, new restaurants can be empty and still be good, and some months are generally slower, such as January.
A note about reservations. When travelling alone, I usually don't make any unless I'm going somewhere specifically for a restaurant. This makes travelling more flexible, but makes it harder to actually find a spot, especially on weekends. So what do I usually do? Take advantage of the aforementioned busy times of the places, and either come very early or during the off-peak. A cocktail bar might be really busy at 21:00, but not at 18:00. Sometimes it is worth calling or checking for late cancellations. Otherwise, I usually choose an area that has a reasonable number of options, so that if one is full, I can go to another.
In the end, there is no guaranteed strategy. What I have learnt (also the hard way) is that if something doesn't feel right, just move to a different place. Don't let a bad experience ruin the joy of all the others. Also, sometimes food is not the main focus, so a place might have really good food, but if you want to sit for a long time and have a conversation with a person, it might be the wrong place.
Go out, explore new places and most importantly, have fun!