14 Tips to Actually Eat Like a Local While Traveling

For many people, food is an incredibly important part of their travel experience. For foodies and non-foodies alike, enjoying local food gives you a taste of the culture (pun intended) and gives you the chance to interact with the local population. While it is possible to get this experience by visiting some of the big touristy restaurants in a destination, one of the best ways is by eating like a local.

We love to travel nearly as much as we love to eat, and we strongly believe that eating where the locals eat is one of the best ways to learn more about a city, new culture, or country.

Most people want to eat well on the road, but exactly how to find the best restaurants when you travel can be a tricky endeavor.

Fortunately, there are quite a few strategies we’ve picked up in our travels over the years. Not everything is perfectly foolproof, but there are many ways to maximize the chances you will be eating delicious and interesting food when you travel.

Seek recommendations from locals 

Your best bet when trying to find local restaurants is to ask the people who actually live there. Locals will know about the most popular sports in a city as well as the little hole in the wall places that you probably wouldn’t otherwise find.

As far as how to obtain local recommendations, there are a few ways to go about it. If you have a friend or family member in the area you might reach out to them and see if they can guide you through the city’s restaurant scene.

However, if you are in a place where you don’t know anyone, then don’t be shy about striking up conversations with local strangers. Make an effort to meet new people. Or ask the people who work at local shops for suggestions about where to get the best food. You can also try using an app like Eatwith to connect with locals and create memorable dining experiences.

To really get the best recommendations our maxim is: “Bartenders know best.” Bartenders work with and drink with other bartenders who work and drink in other bars and, for that reason, usually have the pulse of the food scene in a city.

The same goes for your restaurant server who works with people in the food world. The advice you get from your bartender and waitstaff is the best you will get.

Research Restaurant Options Ahead of Time

Preparation goes a long way when it comes to eating well on the road. Whether your preference is to flip through a physical guidebook or read blog posts online, take the time to research which restaurants are serving great food. This is also a great time to eye local specialities that are mentioned so you can do some additional searches for the best spots to sample them. It’s also important to plot restaurants on a map, so you know what other sights and activities are nearby.

Read Online Restaurant Reviews

This seems basic, but not all online reviews are created equal. I spent a few years living in Paris and was always baffled by some of the top rated restaurants on sites like TripAdvisor or Yelp. “This is the best croque monsieur I have ever had in my life,” someone would write about a mediocre restaurant near the Eiffel Tower. Meanwhile, my favorite (and very popular among locals) sandwich spot is way down around 150.

But keep in mind that TripAdviser and Yelp reviews are written by tourists. Maybe it is the best croque monsieur that person ever had because he’s on vacation and the atmosphere matters when it comes to taste. That doesn’t mean it’s the best croque monsieur in Paris. Look for reviews from locals, especially those who comment on certain dishes. “This ravioli is as good as my grandma’s” ….that’s what you‘re looking for.

We have found that Google reviews tend to be relatively accurate, with many locals usually contributing, and there is the added convenience of having reviews in other languages automatically being translated into yours. Plus, if you research Google.com for “best restaurants in New Orleans” you can then filter by rating, seeing only results that are rated 4.0+ or 4.5+ out of 5 possible stars.

Do Targeted Online Searches

This is one of the best ways we’ve found to identify great restaurants to check out when we visit a new place instead of sticking to lists with blanket recommendations, look for something specific in that place:

• Best brunch in Charleston, SC
• Best Pizza in NYC
• Best Bangers and mash in Dublin
• Best Gelato in Rome
• Best Paella in Madrid

Tip: Also do targeted searches in the local language if it’s not English. It’s easy to use an online dictionary to translate, so instead of looking for “Florentine Steak in Florence” you’re finding the Italian results by looking for “bistica alla florentine Firenzi.”

Ask at Your Accommodation

Whether you are staying at a hotel or an AirBNB, either the concierge or your host probably has great information about the local dining options. If there is something specific you are looking for (a particular cuisine, trendy items, authentic culturally-accurate dishes) they probably can help.

But be careful, some concierges claim a gratuity if they book your reservations so they have a vested interest in sending you to a tourist restaurant. This is why it can be good to ask other hotel staff. It is best to ask for something specific and off the radar.

I was in Baltimore recently and I asked a staff person at the hotel check-in for the name of a nearby inexpensive Vietnamese restaurant. She sent me to the one she goes to down an obscure side street. I would have never found it on my own. It was absolutely fabulous, great food and atmosphere, and it didn’t even appear on TripAdvisor.

Tip: As mentioned above, industry pros like waitstaff and bartenders know where all the good stuff is. Ask where they eat.

Move Away from Tourist Attractions

If a restaurant is even in the shadow of a tourist attraction, stay away. The prices will be hefty and the food less enticing. Even moving a block two away down a side street improves your options.

Know the Cues That It’s a Touristy Place

These are the easiest tells: 

• They are located in areas with high tourist traffic
• They highly advertise – pictures, banners, and signs everywhere
• There are waiters outside the restaurant inviting you to come in
• The waiters speak English in a country where English is not the mother tongue
• It’s usually overpriced
• The menu has lots of options, comes with pictures of the dishes, is written in the local language plus English or even German, French or Japanese
• They serve food with ingredients that are not in season, which means the ingredients aren’t fresh

Leverage the Power of Social Media

Hop on social media to get some inspiration, ideas and suggestions to find local restaurants around the city you are in. Since you presumably don’t know the area, crowd source information and get advice from both friends and strangers online. Make a post asking for restaurant recommendations in a given city and you might hear about some surprising places that would’ve never popped up on your radar.

Trust Bloggers

Successful local food bloggers know all the best food haunts in town. Most have day jobs but are out five nights a week on invites snapping food photos. They build up a huge bank of local knowledge which is why we trust their options. They write about “people’s foods” and not always the most expensive restaurants in town.

Bloggers’ meals are often gifted, but restaurants rarely invite bloggers unless they have exceptional food.

Tip: Search “food blogger” plus the name of the city. For special meals, keep an eye out for food critics based in that city.

Join a Food Tour

To really hit the ground running and start eating like a local from your first bite, we highly recommend a food tour. This is an easy way to try a broad range of local eats as well as the most iconic dishes. Even more importantly, you will get access to a local (your guide), whom you can ask for information and extra recommendations.

Most major cities and many small towns offer food-focused tours these days. We like to book through https://www.getyourguide.com/ which brings together a huge variety of options from different companies. AirBNB Experiences is also fantastic for bespoke itineraries. The more specialized the tour, the richer the experience.

Tip: Group size is a huge factor when booking a food tour: the smaller the group, the more intimate and personalized it’s going to be. If it’s a private tour, even better.

Explore Markets

Most locals buy their food at nearby markets. Markets come in all shapes and sizes from the colorful and crowded markets in Paris to the grand food hall at Harrods in London to the iconic Chelsea Market in New York City to a quiet local farmers market.

Engaging with vendors and fellow food enthusiasts provides valuable insights into a city’s foodscene, and you might receive recommendations for off-the-beaten-path restaurants while sampling local dishes and specialties.

Be Street Smart

From New York City to Bangkok, the humble sidewalk is home to the best food in the world. Serving sweet crepes in Paris or piping hot ears of corn with a kick in Mexico, street carts, sidewalk stands, and stalls offer quick and authentic meals and snacks

Don’t miss the chance to try local favorites from food trucks whether you find them in Austin, TX,  Los Angeles or Queens.

Join That Queue

Read queues outside restaurants, food trucks, or street vendors as signposts of great food. I was so amazed by a queue for Pastel de Mata (Portuguese egg custard tarts) at a Portuguese Festival I attended in Newark, NJ. They ran out well before I reached the head of the queue. When I saw how crestfallen everyone was, that tart became a food goal. I found one the next day at a local bakery. Once my teeth sank into that pillow of deliciousness, I could taste what all the hype was about.

Vloggers Show All

I have discovered vloggers on YouTube as the best way to gain an overview of a city’s food.  It’s like meeting foodies in person. They mention how long they have lived in their town and their food tastes. They are the kind of people I would love to chat with about food. They take you inside venues so you can see for yourself.

Vloggers don’t make a name for themselves unless they unearth local gems.

Tip: Search “Vlogger + name of city + food” on YouTube

Follow Your Instincts

No matter how much research you’ve done or how good the online reviews say a restaurant will be, ultimately you need to trust your instincts.

On a recent trip to Baton Rouge, LA, I had identified a few restaurants as possible lunch options. However, as I walked past each in turn during my morning exploring and peeked at their menus, I was not particularly inspired. Another restaurant along the way looked and seemed to have special local dishes I hadn’t seen at any of the places on my list. I obviously chose the latter and had an incredible meal.

Final Thoughts

Eating like a local is the best way to get the most out of your travel experience. It is an opportunity to learn about the culture, cuisine and customs of your chosen destination. Each destination offers something unique from street food to hidden gems. With a few simple tips you can experience the delectable flavors at a new place like a local.

Eating like a local is an integral part of the travel experience and you can make the most of it with a little effort. Bon appetite!