Experts reveal the secret to finding the best food while travelling
Though one of the best parts of travelling is tasting new food from all over the world, often it can be really tricky to figure out the right place to eat.
You can go off 'must eat' lists and travel guides, listen to friends' recommendations, or wander around 'til something catches your eye, but it's not easy to determine which restaurants are good and which are just tourist traps.
There's one thing you should never do, according to experts: use Google.
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Trying new food is one of the best parts of travel. Getty
Yes, it's easy to just search "paella near me" while on holiday in Barcelona, but often this can be misleading. Google search results can be skewed to show you sponsored content, where restaurants pay to be featured in the top spot.
And while reading reviews from 'real people' might seem authentic, it's pretty easy for those reviews to be faked or bought.
That's not to say Google isn't a valuable resource when planning your trip, but it shouldn't be your primary one.
Instead, seasoned travellers say that the best way to find meals is "the old-fashioned way".
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Ask locals for their favourite spots. Getty
Jamie Barys, who launched UnTour Food Tours, says that chatting with locals is a surefire way to find a great hidden gem restaurant.
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal she says it helps to be specific when asking questions.
"Ask 'what is your favourite everyday place to go for lunch or dinner, somewhere you eat at regularly but don't see many tourists at?'."
"If you're looking for something on the fancier side, ask a local where they go to celebrate special occasions," she suggests. "Remember to solicit tips on specific dishes to order too."
She also points out that you should think about who you're asking, too.
Your hotel concierge might be full of recommendations that are geared toward tourists, while a bartender or housekeeper might be more inclined to lead you to a more rewarding local experience.
Keep in mind that sometimes, hotel concierge are paid or rewarded for mentioning certain places, too.
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Hidden gems are everywhere, if you know how to look. Getty
Another expert tip is to open yourself up to the possibility that not every meal is going to be amazing - but that just makes the excellent ones even better.
Nathan Thornburgh, co-founder of Roads & Kingdoms, a food-and-travel publication that hosts food-focused group trips, told the WSJ that planning is overrated.
"Allow yourself the possibility of having a bad meal," Thornburgh said. "It's like anything in life—the risk and reward go together."
Sometimes the best meal you have on a trip is one you find accidentally: taking shelter from the rain in a taqueria, stumbling into a patisserie at 3pm when you're starving, or finding a late-night tapas place after taking a wrong turn.
