Finding restaurants when travelling works best in three passes: a little research before you leave, a walk around the neighbourhood when you arrive, and a quick check of each place from the street before you sit down. Look for short menus in the local language, places busy with people who are clearly not tourists, food you can see being cooked fresh, and opening hours that match local mealtimes. Check official travel and health advice for your destination too, because what is safe and expected varies from country to country.
The walkthrough below follows a first evening in an unfamiliar city.
Key takeaways
- Read official travel advice for local laws, customs and health risks before you go.
- Learn the local mealtimes; arriving at the wrong hour narrows your choices.
- Walk a street or two away from the main sights before choosing.
- Short menus, steady trade and freshly cooked food are good signs.
- Follow basic food and water safety where hygiene standards are uncertain.
Before you go: a little research
Start with official sources rather than restaurant lists. The UK government’s foreign travel advice covers 226 countries and territories, with pages on entry requirements, safety and security, local laws and health. Those pages are where you find things that affect eating out: alcohol restrictions, dress expectations, public holidays when much of a city closes, and local health warnings.
Then note three practical things about your destination:
- Mealtimes. In some countries lunch is the main meal and dinner starts late; in others kitchens close early. Turning up at the wrong time is the commonest reason travellers end up in tourist traps.
- Tipping and service. Customs vary widely. Our comparison of tipping etiquette abroad sets out how practices differ by country.
- Two or three local dishes. Knowing what a region is known for makes menus easier to read and gives you something to look for.
Finding restaurants when travelling: a first evening
Say you arrive in a city you do not know at six in the evening, check in, and want dinner within walking distance.
- Ask the person at the desk where they would eat. Not where guests usually go, but where they would take a friend. Ask what the dish is that you should order there.
- Walk away from the landmark. You head two or three streets back from the main square or station. Menus and atmosphere tend to change once you leave the busiest tourist routes.
- Look at the menu from the street. You are looking for a short list, written primarily in the local language, with dishes that change by season or day. A huge laminated menu in six languages with photos of every dish is designed for passing trade.
- Check who is eating there. A room full of people who look settled in, rather than tourists consulting maps, is a reasonable sign that the food earns repeat custom.
- Watch the kitchen if you can. Food cooked to order and served hot is a better bet than trays of dishes sitting out.
- Go in and ask. If you cannot read the menu, ask what the kitchen is known for. Pointing at what someone else is eating is perfectly acceptable.
- Note it for later. If it is good, you have found your fallback for the rest of the trip.
Eating safely in unfamiliar places
Where hygiene standards are uncertain, the CDC’s food and water safety advice for travellers gives a clear rule of thumb: hot food should be served hot and cold food cold, with steaming hot dishes the safer choice. It advises avoiding raw or undercooked meat and seafood, fresh salads and salsas made from raw ingredients, and cut fruit, while fruit you peel yourself is a better option. Dry, factory-sealed foods are usually low risk. The CDC also advises caution with street vendors; if you do eat street food, it says to apply the same rules and choose food cooked and served piping hot.
| Signal | Often a good sign | Worth a second look |
|---|---|---|
| Menu | Short, local language, changes often | Very long, many languages, photos of everything |
| Customers | Locals, steady turnover | Empty at peak local mealtime |
| Food | Cooked to order, served hot | Dishes sitting out at room temperature |
| Location | A few streets from the main sights | Directly facing a major landmark |
| Staff | Happy to explain dishes | Pressing passers-by to come in |
None of these signals is a guarantee, and some excellent places break every rule. They simply improve your odds when you have nothing else to go on.
Making the most of eating on the road
Mix things up. A busy market at lunchtime, a counter seat for a quick dinner, a longer meal on your last night. If you are travelling on your own, counter and bar seats make eating out easy, as our guide to dining alone explains. For an introduction to a new city’s food in an afternoon, a guided walking food tour can point you to places worth returning to.
Frequently asked questions
Should I trust online ratings when travelling?
Use them alongside other signals, not instead of them. Combine them with what you see from the street: menu, customers and how the food looks.
What if I have a food allergy and do not speak the language?
Prepare a written card in the local language describing your allergy before you travel, and check the official health advice for your destination. If staff cannot confirm a dish is safe, choose something else or eat elsewhere.
Is it rude to leave if I do not like the look of the menu?
No. Reading a menu at the door and walking on is normal everywhere. Once you have sat down and ordered, it is a different matter.
Your plan for the next trip
Check official travel advice, learn local mealtimes and a few signature dishes, then on arrival ask a local, walk a few streets from the sights and read menus from the street. Eat hot, freshly cooked food where hygiene is uncertain. For more on choosing places for particular moments, browse our occasions guides.
