I own a couple, have found some great dining experiences. Used it to help make dining decisions in many cities. But a recent jaunt thru Little Italy in NYC made me think Zagat has become a hoax, pushing the vote to make restaurants that are mediocre appear remarkable by having friends and patrons vote. When a place that is mediocre at lunch gets a 25 for food, I must question the reliability of this famous book. Anyone else feeling that the books are not being policed enough, and high marks are letdowns?

I had a few differing opinions this year when we used the Zagat Paris. One raved about place was only tolerable.
So you are most likely on to something gyppie!

Zagat doesn't give enough details for me to know if I'm going to like a specific resturant. I prefer the kind of insights I get by reading restaurant descriptions in Frommer's guidebooks.

And, something I thought I'd never say--a careful reading of restaurant ratings in AAA Guidebooks can lead to solid dining selections. There is nothing trendy to be found in them because they list places with established reputations.

I only us Zagat as a vague outline and an address book.

I use it as a supplement to other reviewers, such as those on citysearch, New York Magazine, etc. The website is good to find a restaurant, and then map it out.

Gyppielou; the 'reviews' are written
by restaurant patrons not Tim or his
wife so policing doesn't come into
play.
As other posters have noted, use it
as street guide. Restaurants in
(trendy) tourist areas are often
patronized by vistors & their palate
may not be as gourmet as others.

With all the different sources out there today, such as this website!....we don't even use Zagat anymore. There are SO many more reliable and better sources.

I agree with each and everyone of you!!! I think it was once a useful resource. As it gained popularity, restaurants realize they can easily stack the deck in their favor and gain big business. I think Tim and his wife would want to know this.

I often use Zagat too, and have found that their average check price is far lower than my actual!

In my opinion, Chowhound is much more comprehensive and reliable.

www.chowhound.com

I find it helpful and pretty acurate most of the time. But, I like to compare what zagat say's to other sources. I have found many restaurant's through the Zagat guide that have become my favorites. I have only disagreed a couple times. I could see how some one could cheat but overall I think it's pretty fair.

I like Zagat for its size and organization, so I take it along in case I find myself in the 16th arrondissement and want to find a place nearby.

But the reviews are pretty meaningless. They always seem to feel the need to balance quotes ("perfection" with "at these prices it had better be perfect")which really doesn't help at all.