Restaurants to Avoid--Tourist Traps

San Francisco - any restaurant in the Fisherman’s Wharf / Pier 39 area.

We love Prague, but to us it is the worst we've experienced for "tourist trap" restaurants! Every restaurant along the Royal Route seemed to have someone "recruiting" customers; even one RS-recommended restaurant employed a waiter who blatantly asked for a tip in addition to the included service charge. BUT it didn't take much effort to find "better" (as in food-prices-service) restaurants just steps off the main tourist route.

Most restaurants in the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul.

Hofbrauhaus in Munich-Drink a beer, but the food is the worst of all the brewhouses in Munich.

In general, usually I avoid restaurants in Italy that have menus in multiple languages (say, 3 or more). When there are signs outside with the menu in English, German, French, etc. it's a pretty good indication that they are frequented mostly by tourists.

Yes, to Mardees post. We made the mistake of eating dinner one night in the touristy Sultanhamet area of Istanbul. Awful. We returned to Taksim after that mistake

We had dinner at Les Deux Magots in Paris on the Left Bank; it wasn't bad, but certainly not worth the hype, especially considering the great restaurants that are nearby.

Instead, try Restaurant Allard, less than a mile away; it's incredible, and has a rich history.

I dont think the multi-lingual menu indicator is always an indicator of bad food. If a restaurant gets foreign visitors based on where they are located, it saves them from having to explain the menu to every foreign customer who thinks they want to eat local but wont make the effort to learn the basics. If they only serve food to tourists with contempt, then that is bad.

Consider that for many people who don't shrink from being described as a tourist, a multi-lingual menu is welcome. Many people dont want a gourmet 4-star culturally- immersive experience every meal. Sometimes they just want to eat, and spaghetti and meatballs ala Olive Garden is what they know and want. And they dont want to learn the language or mess with a translator app.

You’re right stan, but i think the OP’s question is for forum members looking for better quality food than Olive Garden. Not talkin’ Michelin Star, just better quality than tourist trap restaurants.

Some touristy restaurants can be good. However, I wanted to compile a "to avoid" list so that we don't waste our time and $ on bad meals.

I think the OP defined some of the categories to avoid. "Famous" places rarely deliver to expectation, they are usually crowded, the food hurried and usually prepped well ahead, and prices increase to take advantage of demand. This includes places visited by celebrity TV (Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, I suppose even Stanley Tucci) and especially those "common" places that have been awarded a Michelin star through their effort to include "non-traditional-Michelin" type places. For that matter. a Michelin star or two is a flag that keeps me away from a place.

Myself, I research, have maybe a small list for a locale, but a place usually has to pass the once-over once I set eyes on it. Hard to define, but you pick up a lot by just seeing, looking at the current menu, getting a sense of how they operate.

I tried following the locals thinking that would be a good idea. But I got tired of eating kebabs, McDonalds and ending up in a Starbucks.

But I will throw one in. Gundel in Budapest. 127 year old continiously operating restaurant in a magnificient old building in the City Park. This was the best for the best at one time; that time has been gone for at least 20 years now. I cringe everytime a friend meets me in Budapepst and wants to go.

Then there was this little local eaterie that no one knew about called Frici Papa. Been in business at least 50 years. Nothing but Hungarian home cooking. Fantastic! Until some inconsiderate no-name put it in a guide book. Now there is a line down the street and the menu has english in it. Dont know if its still good, its too ruined for me.

I'm not a foodie, so I only remember a handful of restaurants by name, besides Autogrill. But I'll add to the list of traps Sardi's in NYC. Tired, and surviving on a reputation and menu from 60+ years ago.

I was embarrassed that it was my idea to eat at Sardi's in 2019. We could only recognize a handful of the caricatures, and the food reminded me of a lunch I once shared with a great aunt in a nursing home, only blander.