A word of caution about restaurant recommendations on this board
 

I have put together terrific trips to Paris, Costa Rica and Italy, relying heavily on advice from the great folks on this board. I do want to pass on a word of caution, however, to those who rely on restaurant recommendations given on this board: The recommendations are of very limited value without a street address.

I'm not criticizing those who give restaurant recommendations WITHOUT a street address...one rarely has the address handy when replying to a "where to eat" post. But if you read a post and are interested in a certain restaurant recommended here, it is in your best interest to do more research - ask for the address here, ask at your hotel, see if they have a web site, etc.

I speak from experience. I had lots of restaurant recommendations for Rome with directions like "just blocks from the Piazza Navona." Once I was at the Piazza, I realized that about a dozen streets fed into the Piazza - I could have walked for several hours looking for everything that was "just blocks" from the Piazza. Directions such as "near the Spanish Steps" could keep you looking for ages. I felt foolish that in my meticulous research, I had not nailed down the exact location of more of the restaraunts.

So just remember that, especially when you visit a large city, the name and neighborhood of a restaraunt is only the starting point of your research.

Common problem. You get all excited about a place and then can't find it. The good ones are often in tucked away locations. Not a good situation after having walked all day. Last thing you want to do is more walking.

Most of the restaurants recommended here are listed in one or another guidebook. When you have your list put together, go to a bookstore and look up the addresses and telephone numbers.

Very good suggestion.

I rarely use the restaurant recommendations on this board. I'm sure they are all lovely, but I just find it easier to kind of "go with the flow" when we are on vacation, stopping when we are hungry and menu shopping around the area we happen to be in at the time. Some of the best meals I have eaten have been at restaurants that I stumbled across and decide to take a chance on.

Tracy

Hi missypie - when I read your title, I thought you perhaps had some great revelation. I have reread your post and am still not sure what this piece of advice is ... Do you mean that people actually travel to Paris with the name of a restaurant and perhaps the arrondisement and then begin walking expecting to stumble across it?

When we travel, we like to discover our own little restaurants. But, I do pick up business cards from the ones we really like, so I can pass along the name, address and phone. Also, so I can remember it in case we return someday. It's the easiest way to keep track, I think. Just pick up their card. They are happy to give you one, because it usually means you are happy with their establishment. Hotels, too.

Restaurant reccomendations are dicey anytime, anywhere. Many people equate the "time they had/have" into a strong recommendation. When traveling, it often comes down to "these are the places we ate". Add to the undeniable fact that my taste is often not your taste and the recommendations to me are virtually worthless. Its far better to stumble into a great time than go to a specific restaurant with high expectaions.

That being said, and naturally running counter to my missive above, some posters will give an in-depth review of their experience that seems to have been written by me. If that's the case, I'll definately look it up. lol

One last thing. I find the "Avoid this restaurant" posts much more meaningful. But, again I have to use discretion. The "we were treated poorly" post by someone who comes across as a boor may be one I'd wait in line for.

I have used some of the recommendations here. If you google the restaurant name recommended, eight or nine out of ten times there is something on the web that can get you the address/phone number of the restaurant. To me, the correct spelling of the restaurant name is the most important fact. Then I can do further research.

That said, for my week-long trip to Paris in December, I am already armed with about 75 restaurants I could try. With all those names, when I get to Paris, I am positive many of the places we dine will be ones we "discover" while we are there.

((H))

Have bookstores become public libraries now?

An easy way to get an address is to use an on-line telephone directory for the particular country. In France, for instance, the Pages Jaune (yellow pages) are very useful, and you can even get a view of the address and the surrounding area.

I guess some people don't find out addresses and do hope to just run across a restaurant in a big city when someone says it's near a landmark, I don't know. I think anyone who seriously plans on using restaurant recommendations on here should do the googling or whatever to get an address before you go. That would work except for real hole-in-the-wall places, and then I guess people need to get more details somewhere. It is true most of the Paris restaurant recommendations I see on here are really wellknown places in many guidebooks, though. I wouldn't suggest someone go to a bookstore to use their books to look them up, though. YOu can use a library or just online (if they are in guidebooks, I'd bet you can google them in about 99 pct of cases).

I am contrary as well...
I prefer to stumble upon a restaurant or hotel on my own. This bull-headedness of mine is, I admit, a double edged sword...but? It makes the trip a bit more of an adventure to me rather than an agenda to be followed.

I rarely follow recommendations from this site for which I have not found independent confirmation from reliable food and restaurant guides. In general, my research has paid off and I have seldom eaten in restaurants that have been a disappointment.

And I agree, I goofed: Googling is often easier and faster, not to say fairer to bookstores.

To find an address in Paris, just check the Yellow Pages : www.pagesjaunes.fr

There is also a photo function to show a photograph of every street address in Paris, so even with an approximate address, you can often find the place you are looking for by "walking" down the street.

I would also like to point out that I helped someone recently who was looking for a restaurant that was a couple streets "behind" a restaurant that he knew. I sent him to Google Earth, of which the Paris photos are so clear that you can practically count the leaves on the trees -- he found the place immediately.

I agree with the posters who said we must do our own research.

I don't expect others to take my hand and walk me down to a restaurant. I will have my own maps, will do my own research, and of course will find the restaurant on the Internet.

If not, I will post a question, and get an answer BEFORE the trip.

I love the restaurant recommendations on this forum - especially from people whose advice I respect. When I am in Paris for 8 days I don't want to risk wasting an evening in a poor dining establishment that has nothing to recommend it except the fact that I stumbled across it. Armed with suggestions, cross referenced with other data I can make an intelligent(?) choice, just as I do with hotels, sights etc. But that's just me...
When I have decided I want to go to a particular restaurant I make sure I know the address, where it is, how to get there, and that I know the address of my hotel (another piece of sage advice) and that I have my wallet and that my fly is done up.
BTW wouldn't I want to know the address of any place I wanted to go to in a strange city?

I always check recommendations for either restaurants or hotels and for that matter anything on Trip Advisor. I realize Trip Advisor isn't perfect, however, I love to read the travelers comments and often write my own. From there you should be able to see the rating your restaurant/hotel has and also view photos, maps and directions. With all that it's very easy to google the web site or additional travel reviews.

If I find a restaurant that particularly stands out to me, I grab a business card... then when I post I have all the information to pass along.

And how about the quality of the restaurants are found. Not of the posters expect the same level of quality of what's offered in these restaurants. Maybe it was mostly the place and not the food.

There's a good restaurant in Paris for Mexican food. The local is lovely, since it's adjacent to a lot of dance studios. Of course is called "The Studio". I would send most people to this restaurant but it's certainly special about the food. It's plain TexMex meals but the ambiance makes the restaurant recced.

So, it's not just the address to these places.

Blackduff

And don't forget that sometimes the restaurant changes owners or the chef might quit so previous reviews may mean nothing, nor should the reviewers be blamed.