Time is precious when you are on vacation and you don’t want to waste an evening enduring an average meal when you could have been enjoying something far more appetizing.
The trick is knowing some the best ways of searching out the restaurants that amaze and satisfy diners on a nightly basis, so here are some tips on how to use your smartphone to those gastronomic delights when you are exploring a new area.
Take the hint
You would like to think that highly-trained chefs who know how to throw a top plate of food together would have a good idea of where to dine in a city if it is not at their own establishment.
Thankfully, there is an app that has managed to prize that vital information out of about 600 leading chefs around the world, which means you can get the inside track on where the food is likely to hit all the right notes with your palate.
Where Chefs Eat is not a free app but if it manages to point you in the direction of a restaurant that delivers everything you want on a plate it might be worth the modest investment.
If you are staying at a hotel like the JW Marriott Palm Springs, for example, you could also see if the concierge service can point away from their own top dining options, for one night at least, as a bit of unbiased local knowledge can also help narrow down your search.
Eat like a local
Another app that should be worth having on your smartphone is Urbanspoon.
Millions of people use this app each week and it aims to try and provide you with some honest restaurant reviews that range from diners giving feedback to food critics who have cast their professional eye over the eatery in question.
The aim of this app is to help you track down what is considered to be one of the best local restaurants you can find based on ratings and reviews.
You should be able to use that information to your advantage to pick out a place that gets your vote with what it puts on the plate.
Taking the healthy option
If you are a diner who is into healthy eating you will want to be able to hone in on the restaurants where a paleo diner or vegetarian would be very much at home.
The Tasteful app is aimed at healthy eaters and that means that your diet and low-carb requirements are likely to be catered for if you choose a restaurant that is on the list when you search using the app.
Navigating the wine list
Finding a restaurant where great food is being served is just one part of the equation, the next task is to navigate the wine list and work out which one to choose for your alongside your meal.
Many of us struggle to interpret wines successfully and probably end up being guided by price or the waiter, but you could use an app called Delectable to improve your knowledge and give the impression that you are a sommelier in the making.
Exploring a new area and finding somewhere to eat is part of the vacation experience and with a few useful apps on your phone, you should be able to make it a successful and satisfying evening.