We used RS of course, as modified by TripAdvisor reviews to help us narrow down our choices of places to eat. And of course, in areas that Rick does not discuss...for example, the area around Paris Montparnasse station...we relied more heavily on trip advisor plus recommendations from our hotel staff. Le Crepe Breton, a few minutes walk north of Montparnasse toward the Seine, was superb, full of the French but friendly to Americans with our broken English. In Nice, it was very helpful to have RS' assurance that the Villa d'Este on the Rue Massena was not a tourist trap...it was actually excellent and a fabulous value. Similarly, the crepery in the Place Grimaldi near our hotel was one we would have passed by if Rick had not recommended it...and my wife still thinks about her galette stuffed with foil gras and smiles. L'Archarddio, in old Nice, on the other hand was thoroughly mediocre...Rick should rethink including this one. But generally his recommendations were good. The one horrible meal we had was in Amboise at L'Epicerie...this place really really needs to be removed from the France 2016 guide. The food was awful, the service surly, and only the location prevented the evening from being a total waste.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Roe.. I rarely use any guide for restaurant recommendations.. as soon as some places get into books they start going downhill.. no need to keep standards up if tourists just flock in.. there are exceptions though.
I do like hotel staff recommendations.. and I also like recommendations you get from other travellers on forums.. but the thing is.. often restaurant recommendations are subjective. I look at reviews of restaurants in my own home town.. some are pretty accurate,, but some seem completely at odds with my own experiences there.
Years ago when I went to Hawaii I kept reading all these glowing reviews of this place called Cheesecake Factory ( apparently a chain but I didn't know as we don't have one here) .. It was possibly the worst meal we had in Hawaiii.. four of us.. all had barely adequate food( friend had a piece of literally rotted asparagus on it..) .. and yet.. I still read these glowing reviews about this place.. lol
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8319 posts
I try not to read about restaurants or make plans to eat at specific places on trips. I too prefer to ask our hotel front desk personnel of their favorite places.
Too many times I've gone out of my way to find "famous" restaurants only to find them either more money than I choose to spend or that they have a menu that is not appetizing.
Posted by
Houston
3522 posts
Thanks for the details.
As others mentioned, once a restaurant ends up in a guide book or especially on a TV show with glowing reviews many tend to go down. Maybe not on purpose, but the crowds that fame brings just overwhelm their capabilities. It is refreshing that many (but unfortunately not all) of those recommended in the RS books maintain the level of service and quality of food that got them included.
I do tend to rely on recommendations by the hotel desk people . I always ask them "Where would YOU eat near here?" never "Where should I eat?" and so far have never been disappointed by the suggestions. The tour guides also offer great suggestions that are more current than the guide books as well.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33820 posts
This is good reporting for people who see the Forum or Helpline to give it its formal name.
If you want the staff writing books to see your comments the official place is the Guidebook Feedback Form which can be found at
https://www.ricksteves.com/forms/guidebook-feedback-form
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7803 posts
I am probably not the best person to comment since I just finished a smoked braut from a stand near St. Stephens, and it tasted delicious....or maybe it was the hours of walking through a museum that increased my level of acceptance. Anyway, we usually try to eat at the small local restaurants vs. anything large or in the center of a piazza, etc. Trip Advisor has led us to some great places, but we usually let our nose lead us into a restaurant or ask people leaving a restaurant if they enjoyed the meal.
By the way, the Cheesecake Factory is good for dessert...eat your main dish elsewhere. ; )