Trifter

Traveling the world, I have come across many restaurants that are incredible and needed to be shared. On the other side, there were eateries that were equally disgusting and again needed to be shared. However, I was unsure as to how to write a first-rate restaurant review. I would read various articles in the newspaper and in food magazines all written by the top food critics, but they only left me with a number of questions. Some articles where excellent and some just didn’t give me a true picture of the restaurant or the foods being served. I often wondered what it was that made the food critic write a good review; what kind of research they did before they went in and sat down for a meal. What was it they looked at while they were eating? I began researching for my own reviews, wanting to publish equally enlightening articles for different websites and in my own Culinary Travel Blog (http://www.cincinstravels.blogspot.com/). I wanted to know just what went into creating an informative restaurant review.

I began my research by talking to several food critics. Talking to them provided me with an insight as to how they went about writing a review for publication. Next, I re-read those articles; literally dissecting the written works, looking for the trends and similarities of each article. Testing what I found to be informative and what I didn’t. Finding the words that made me wanted to check out a particular restaurant over another. At the end of the process, I found there were certain areas that were similar in each article. I’ve outline those below as a good basic guide for the budding food critic.

1. The atmosphere of the restaurant:

   Don’t just say it’s Italian. One person’s idea of Italian is different from another’s. You want your reader to formulate a good picture in their mind as to what the restaurant is like. So ask yourself some simple questions: What does the restaurant look like? Is the restaurant casual or formal? Is the restaurant family style? What is the noise level like? What type of décor does it have?

2. The restaurants menu:

   Describe the type of food they are serving. What type of food do they serve – is it Mexican, Asian, or an upscale Pizza place? Share some of the different dishes or specialties along with the costs. What was it about the dish that made it good – was it the way it’s cooked, the ingredients or freshness, maybe variety? Were the foods hot that were supposed to be hot and the cold foods — cold? In addition, let your reader know if the restaurant is inexpensive, average, or expensive. Also does the restaurant have a kids menu? You would be surprised how many don’t.

3. The service:

   Was it good, bad, or indifferent? Were the employees friendly and knowledgeable? Was the service quick and efficient or did they rush you? Were the employees helpful in sharing how the dishes are prepared? Did the server suggest dishes or wine to accompany the dishes? Was there a Sommelier available to assist in wine selection? If there was a buffet, how many items were there and were items labeled?

4. The restaurant’s uniqueness:

   What makes them different or special over a similar eatery? For example, I went to an Italian restaurant in California that had a wondering violin player. The violinist would move around the tables playing Italian love songs. That was unique and different from the normal intercom music.

5. Background or history of the restaurant:

   The usual how, when, where type questions. When did it first open? Is the restaurant a franchise or is it individually owned? Who owns the restaurant? Where is the restaurant located? Don’t forget to include the phone number and website as well as the address. What are the restaurant’s hours; do they serve breakfast, or only lunch and dinner? Is there parking? Are reservations required or should you expect long lines to get a seat?

6. Bad or Negative Reviews:

   Yes, cover both sides of the review coin; share your negative experience, but do so effectively. There can be many potential reasons you want to share a negative experience. Maybe the service or food quality was subpar. You just didn’t enjoy the experience and felt you wasted your time and money. Go ahead and explain it. What was the problem? On one of my trips I went into a restaurant with the family – they had been raving how good it was. However, on a trip to the restrooms, I encountered a mouse heading for the storage closet — I didn’t feel like eating after that. Shortly afterwards, I made a call to the health department and the restaurant was shut down. That was one article that is was not worth writing about and the course of action was a phone call to the correct authorities.

7. Personal preferences and comments:

   It is fine to make personal comments, but it is always good to note why. For example, I like my salads at room temperate so I can taste the freshness of the tomatoes instead of ice cold. Most restaurants serve salads fresh but right out of the cooler and not everyone likes stuff the same way you do. So remember when you criticize with your own preferences, not why you are doing so.

Lastly, I like to recap the article with a little five star rating system. It gives the reader the bottom line and a quick reference point.

Food Rating: ****

Service Rating: ****

Expense Rating: $$

Atmosphere Rating: ***

Overall Restaurant Rating: ****