Why Tourists Should Be Cautious Of Highly Rated Restaurants With Tons Of Reviews
When planning a vacation, it sounds like a no-brainer to seek out places and establishments with positive reviews on websites like Yelp or Tripadvisor. In fact, most aspects of travel seem to be dictated by review sites. People sometimes look not just at the overall star rating, but at how many reviews have been posted for any given thing. However, when it comes to reviews for restaurants, thousands of reviews for a singular restaurant can actually be a potential drawback. TikToker and avid foodie @chzgal explained why.
@chzgal 🚩No but what are your red flags for euro tourist traps?? And also there are always exceptions to the rules – we ate and drank at a spot right by Piazza Navona and it was amazing. 🇮🇹 #fyp #travel #traveltips #italy #europe #europetravel #redflags #redflag #traveltiktok #traveltok
After a trip to Italy, the TikToker shared what she learned about tourist-trap restaurants in the country. "If the restaurant that you're going to has an astronomical amount of good reviews — I'm talking 25,000 good reviews — be very skeptical," she stated. "Here's who's leaving those reviews: tourists." Therefore, you might get an overpriced, inauthentic culinary experience because you will be eating where other tourists eat. Other frequent travelers agree and her advice applies to tourism hotspots all over the world.
Choose restaurants with positive reviews, but fewer of them
In her TikTok about restaurant reviews, @chzgal clarifies that she does not mean you should go to restaurants with negative reviews. "The places that we loved that were incredible and more local spots still had great reviews, but they had more between 5- to 800 [reviews] versus 25,000," she stated. "The locals are leaving these reviews."
In a globalized world, it can be hard to have authentic cultural experiences while traveling internationally. Even avoiding popular restaurant chains might not be enough. Eating where the locals eat ensures that you are not getting food or stereotypical atmospheres catered toward tourists (think servers dressed in lederhosen at a restaurant in Munich, for example). Venturing off the tourist path in this way can help you find hidden gems that will likely be less crowded too. You could even spread the economic benefits of tourism to smaller restaurants that are worthy of support too, just like mom and pop shops in your own hometown.
Rick Steves avoids touristy restaurants too
Global travel expert Rick Steves seems to share the same thoughts on restaurant reviews as @chzgal. Aside from overwhelmingly high numbers of reviews across the internet, businesses that come up first in an online search definitely do not reflect the exhaustive lists of the destination's best options. This is one of the reasons why Steves says you should think twice before trusting travel review sites. "Review sites can become an echo chamber, where one or two well-located, flashy businesses camp out atop the ratings," he states on his website. "I find review sites' restaurant recommendations skew to very touristy, obvious options."
If you want to seek out more culturally-immersive dining experiences, best-selling travel writer Matt Kepnes, aka @nomadicmatt, suggests in an Instagram video that you use the five-block rule. This means walk five blocks away from a city's major tourist center. Kepner says once you leave the tourist areas, "that's where the magic happens." This tip could help you find the best restaurants when traveling to a new city and perhaps save you money, given that restaurants near major attractions are sometimes expensive.