Do you usually like Zagat's rec's?
 

I've never used Zagat's restaurant guide but I bought one for "Europe's Top Restaurants" . I'm just wondering what Fodorites think - do you usually like their picks?? Thanks

I just got a free Zagat's Paris guide because I reviewed several Parisian restaurants for this edition. I browsed through it, and my opinion is that the restaurants with a high score probably are pretty good, however, they are not very comprehensive in what they list. Also, the worst thing for me, is that there are not really reviews of these restaurants like you'd get in a guidebook, special guide, or magazine/newspaper articles. So you don't really have much information about the restaurant. The few snippets of comments they decide to excerpt are usually not very descriptive. You get almost no information about the cuisine, except overall type and the numerical rating.

I'm glad I didn't pay for it, is my final opinion.

I subscribe to Zagat's on line and use it quite a bit in this country, in part because I'm a creature of habit and have become very comfortable with their style and format. I also purchased one in advance of my recent trip to Paris and found it very helpful.

For the most part, I find their reviews concise and accurate. I do pay close attention to the black square next to each entry, which indicates whether the reviewing responses were uniform (full black square) or mixed (half black square).

Bottom line, I haven't had a bad meal relying on Zagat's in a long time.

I've checked out Zagats online a bunch of times and in print as well, and I decided that the Michelin Red Guide was infinitely better. Just my opinion.

StCirq, try as I may, I cannot read the Michelin Red Guide!

Don't know about international versions of Zagat's, but can only assume based on the indespensible nature of their books for the NYC/NJ area that they'd offer the same quality reviews elsewhere.

Hi
I've bought the Z. "Europe's Top Restaurants" a couple of times now, and I love it. Particularly for a city like Prague that is not known internationally for its cuisine, since I was traveling there with fellow foodies I found Zagat's recs a good place to start--I researched on line and in books further, and we assembled our own little priority list.

In a city like Paris which IS famous for food, and where there's at least one great bistro or cafe on every street, the "Europe's" top picks (25 or so for each city included) is much too limited. For Paris I buy the Zagat guide dedicated to it, plus do my other reading and research.

I also got a free Zagat's Paris guide because I reviewed several Parisian restaurants for this edition; anyone can do this, just log on to Zagat's and sign up for the surveys.

I didn't find the guide to be overly useful, and I gave it away.

One of the best things about Zagat's is its size! It's not always on target, and if I'm seriously researching a restaurant, it won't be my only source. But if you find yourself hungry in an unfamiliar place, it's a great thing to have in your handbag.

Perhaps someone might explain how Zagats could possibly instill consistency city to city. What quality checks do Nick and Tina use?

Bottomline, what you read in Z is based on that city's group of people who dine out and then agree to fill out that awful survey form ... assuming it's still that crowded, tiny format that can tire one out so fast that it becomes a chore just to get through it. Wouldn't that perhaps tend to affect the accuracy?

And what about those "sound bites" in their books ... is there some built-in bias to adopt the ones with the best bite? I tend to distrust mass-marketed products.

I find Zagat's format really irritating. I learn little about the restaurant or the food.

I also got a freebie just this week. When I looked at the restaurants I had recommended and the price/person I think their figures were a bit higher than I had experienced. I haven't spent a lot of time with it yet but will take it on our fall trip--as someone said, if you're caught in an unfamiliar part of town it might help.