Searching for Restaurants

You've spent hours, days, months, maybe even years reviewing information for your upcoming trip and now you want to nail down that quintessential dining experience. What is your next step? Well that depends on what kind of traveler you are. If your a seat of the pants, take it as it may come, free as a bird wanderer, then don't worry about it and disregard the rest of this post. However, if you are an obsessive planner or have an important event you want to celebrate, then these steps are for you.

1) Find a location

I like to use a combination search and verify strategy to determine, which restaurant would be perfect for the night or event I am planning. I first create my itinerary for the day and then try to figure out where exactly I will be around meal time. Will I be out and about near a specific museum, just coming into a city, or relaxing at my hotel? These all factor into where I may be looking to eat. Will I be celebrating an important event or just looking for a quick bite? If I'm celebrating, then the location might not be as important as the experience or quality of the food (sometimes it might be even more important, i.e., Eiffel Tower). These are all considerations you will have to make before you begin locating dining options.

Once I determine where I will be (or if I even care about location), I start with TripAdvisor. I enter in the location/city and bring up the listing for all dining (restaurants in the area). I then use their data entry controls to further specify what type of experience I would like (French cuisine, romantic, etc...). Once the defining information has been entered, I use the map (on the right of the screen) to zoom in on a specific area. The recommendations on the left will automatically update to correlate with the area in view. I read reviews and try to find my top choices.

2) Look for the website or online materials

Once I have identified a restaurant of interest, I check if they have a website available to determine their location, what is on their menu, and their level of presentation. If they do not have a website, I try to locate other reviews or online materials that may identify costs and quality of the establishment. At this point if nothing is available, I make the decision as to whether to chance it without further material or to pass onto another option.

3) Reserve online

If you were able to find a website online for a restaurant you really want to try, check if they take electronic reservations. If they do not have an electronic reservation system, try to locate a contact email and send a written request for a reservation. The worst that can happen is that they will rebuff you and say no. Make sure that if you are dealing with a restaurant in a country where English is not the majority language you make the request in the native tongue and then put your request in English beneath it. This will show them a level of courtesy, while letting them know their language is not your native tongue. I like to use Yahoo's Babelfish to convert my requests.

Another option is to use online tools to make or request a reservation. I have used TopTable, Book A Table, and The Fork (for France), for my own reservations. In some cases, these tools even provide a coupon or discount for the establishment, saving you some money. Keep in mind that a little bit of research can go a long way. Before going directly to the online tools and making a reservation, read the full reviews available on TripAdvisor, Yelp, Zagat, Urban Spoon, or Dine.

TripAdvisor is a must for me

If you've followed my posts it will be evident that I am obsessed with TripAdvisor.com. I use this collection of reviews as a major resource while researching my personal travel planning. I know it has become the bane of some hotelier/restaurateur's existence, but I think it is great for expressing your opinion and reading about specific nuances and charms of locales that engaged other like minded travelers.

One of the major draws to me is their stratification of reviews based on geography, activities, restaurants, lodging (B&B and hotels), and now flights. For example, when I look for a hotel I use the map display feature to locate hotels in a specific section of town. I then further discriminate based on costs and popularity. I will compile a list of the top 6 or so places that look interesting to me, read the individual reviews, and most importantly look at pictures that the reviewers have posted.

To me the pictures posted by the reviewers, not the operators, offer the most revealing look into what you will be getting for your hard earned cash (click this link to see what I mean). Reviewers do not gloss over small cramped quarters, dirty bathrooms, soiled bed cloths, or room views overlooking commercial air conditioners. Instead they show both the deficiencies and the things that make the lodgings wonderful. Beautiful room decor (I like exposed wood beams and the European glass partial shower shields), comfortable furniture, unique ambiance, and those special touches that make the stay that much more enjoyable.

In addition to the reviews, I find TripAdvisor's travel forums to be constantly active, with participants immersed in mostly friendly conversation seeking information, relaying recommendations, and providing trip reports. The members of these forums are not limited to American's, but also include foreign travelers and locals as well, who provide their own unique insights regarding where you are looking at visiting. If you are looking for information about a travel destination, foreign or domestic, try out TripAdvisor yourself and see if you agree with me.