How to find great food when traveling

Whether you’re trying something new or just hunting down the best fresh, local ingredients, good food can give you an insight into new cultures and make you feel far from home in a good way.

Picking a good place when you’re away can put the pressure on- you’re only around a limited time with a limited budget and a bad meal can sour your day. Even worse, getting caught in a “tourist trap” can give you subpar food at high prices.

If you don’t know anyone in town and you don’t know the area, how do you find a good place?

Fear not for I am a broke foodie and have made finding good food away from home an art form! Here are my secrets:

1) Walk around:

This is my most important tip. Don’t leave finding a place to the last minute when possible– hanger can make for bad decision-making. Instead, keep meals in the back of your mind as you explore. You’re going to have to eat some time, right? If you see a good-looking place, glance at the menu and start getting a feel for typical prices and food in the area. This will help you not get ripped off. Definitely take a look at what people are ordering as well- if it makes you drool, what you order will probably be good too. Don’t be afraid to follow your nose!

2) Use Yelp:

Most restaurants are clustered in certain areas. Maybe you already have a feel for the busy places from exploring, but if not, use yelp or other review sites (when possible) to find where the food is. Definitely look at reviews if there are any, but don’t just go by stars- check and read some of the bad reviews too. Make sure none of the mentioned issues are ones you’re not willing to deal with.

3) Never feel like you have to eat at a place before you see the menu

Sticker shock hurts! Often menus are posted outside or you can ask a waiter to see one. If you sit, are handed a menu, and the prices or offerings are not what you want, head out and find a better place. You may not be in town again, right? Don’t be guilted into a bad meal or one outside of your budget.

4) Location location location:

Often restaurants right next to a famous area or monument (I’m looking at you, the Latin Quarter) are awful. They’re designed for travelers who don’t know any better. Even the better restaurants in touristy areas may be overpriced. Don’t be afraid to go down the side alleys for a better deal and better time.

5) Do what the locals do:

Talk to people in your hostel or leaders of your walking tours about where they like to eat most (phrasing it like that will hopefully avoid steering you to generic tourist options). For the most part avoid chains. When possible, beware places with menus in several languages, especially those that only list the most twee dishes of the area like “fondue” and “cassoulet” or “authentic paella“. Beware the word “authentic” at all cost! How does the menu look? Is it updated day-to-day with seasonal ingredients or does it look like a diner menu full of clip-art that hasn’t changed since 1998? Don’t underestimate local options like food carts and markets- if a food spot is busy and full of locals, it’s probably a great place and even cheap places can have incredible food.

When choosing a place to eat, any and all of these rules can be broken. Sometimes a tourist location is located so well or is so beautiful, it’s worth the risk. Sometimes there’s a very specific deal or menu item you want to try or you don’t have many options to choose from. Don’t forget that a bad meal isn’t the end of the world!

My final recommendation is that we all could stand to broaden our palettes and eat more local food. Food from home is likely to be more expensive and not as good. Besides, did you really come half-way around the world to eat a crappy hamburger at McDonald’s? Before you choose your next meal, remember that food is an intrisic part of a place’s culture. As a traveler, an adventurer, an explorer, we should celebrate that.

How about you, what was your best food find on the road? What was your worst food disaster? Tell me in the comments!

-M