Food is the only thing I enjoy as much as travel. I’m all about discovering the best cuisine while travelling; all it takes is a short glance at this blog’s gourmet travel section to see that I firmly feel that cuisine is an essential component of cultural discovery and the best way to get to know a new city.
Finding delicious food, however, is undoubtedly one of the more difficult elements of travelling, even though it can be quite rewarding. You’d think it would be simple, but if you don’t do your research, you can end up dining at the local McDonald’s menu or paying too much for poor-quality, tourist-oriented food.
Over and over again I’ll admit that, as long as the meal is nice, I don’t mind paying a bit extra for it. Being compelled to eat at a subpar tourist restaurant when travelling is the one thing that enrages me the most. On a scheduled tour, you may have no choice. However, if you’re on your own, avoid eating at tourist spots.
Check out the suggestions below on where to locate the best food when travelling to make sure you’re enjoying the most delicious food your destination has to offer!
Just before you go
1. before you travel, do research
We all have common eating habits and tastes, although those preferences might vary greatly between nations. Make sure to do research on the cuisine and traditions of the place you’re visiting before you leave.
You might discover that the food offered in the country is different from what you are used to at home, as well as when and where to eat.
For example, in Australia, lunch is frequently consumed in a café. Since many cafés close at 4, it can be challenging to find a kitchen that is still serving food or coffee after that time.
You won’t have dinner in Spain before 8 p.m. because few restaurants are open until then. Keep in mind that a 15–25% gratuity is customary when dining in the USA.
In Thailand, the entire population eats on the streets since the prices are so low and the food is so delicious. This makes cooking in the house uncommon in this nation. Don’t forget to read our other 26 useful travel tips for Thailand.
2. Social media
While most people’s initial inclination is to go to Trip advisor, I’m actually rather dubious about utilizing their reviews to identify the greatest food while travelling because, after all, how well-versed in the local cuisine are your fellow tourists? I substituted the techniques listed below.
Since you’re linked to so many individuals in the tourism industry, Twitter is really useful. I just received some excellent advice for a forthcoming trip and was directed to a nation-specific blog via Twitter. Nevertheless, depending on how frequently you use Twitter for travel-related content, success is quite hit-or-miss. The resources on Face book and Pinterest are far superior.
There are numerous Face book groups solely dedicated to travel. You may easily receive a tone of responses by simply posting an inquiry inquiring about the top restaurants in a particular city. Girls vs. Globe are one website I adore, but Nomads and Food worth Travelling For are also excellent options.
3. Ask a local for advice
Asking a local is one of the finest methods to discover delicious local cuisine everywhere you go. Just ask your receptionist or the cab driver for a suggestion.
Ask them for recommendations if you want to sample local food, because often a receptionist will recommend a nice restaurant rather than the straightforward canteen where they receive their lunch.
4. Read regional publications and food bloggers’ writings
Read up before your trip to add some enjoyable research to your preparations. A short Google search will reveal a wealth of articles written by regional food bloggers and reporters, whose livelihoods depend on discovering hot spots and revealing information about secret treasures.
You may quickly save all the addresses to a Google Map or print one out and mark the intersections that are worth stopping by. Some regional publications or newspapers even publish annual eating guides that remove a lot of the uncertainty from travelling.
5. Don’t be intimidated by the menu’s language
You lack language proficiency. It’s no issue. A menu in English may be available at many restaurants, or the wait staff may translate for you. Google Translate can be useful if this isn’t the case. Install the app on your phone at home, then select the language pack for the nation you’re visiting (such as Italian), and download it for offline usage.
Can I please get the most well-liked dish? Is an easy sentence to type when dining out? Or “What advice would you give?”
It’s fantastic that you can use the camera feature to hover over the menu and have the menu translated onto your screen.
You are currently bilingual! If you don’t have a Smartphone, just make the same order by pointing at a fellow diner’s plate. This is how I ordered some of the best dishes I’ve ever had in China and Vietnam; however, I couldn’t eat many of the items on my list of the ten weirdest things I’ve ever tried in China.
6. Ask Your Taxi Driver
Taxi drivers are knowledgeable about food. Most residents do. Ask your cab driver about his favorite cuisine and the restaurants where he likes to eat it by striking up a conversation. Do not inquire, “What is the best restaurant nearby?” You will undoubtedly be sent to a busy, touristic location that is costly and overrated if you ask that question.
Make your request specific.
