Do you like paying high prices for mediocre food? Me neither, and that’s why I try to avoid restaurants in Touristy Areas. It is rare to find good food for reasonable prices in areas where you find a lot of tourists. So, I recommend venturing outside such areas when it is time to eat.

You might sometimes be lucky enough to find a nice place for lunch or dinner in an area where tourists hang out if it’s an area where locals also spend time. If this is the case, then look for places where you can spot locals eating. If a place seems to only have tourists as clients, it is wise to steer away. Since running a restaurant is a business it is only natural that the owners try to make a profit. As Touristy areas seldom live off repeat customers a restaurant can easily get away with serving mediocre food at a higher price. I’m not saying the food will be crap, but it is rarely anything special.

When we are visiting popular sites or other areas frequented by tourists we try to head outside these areas when it is time to eat. This is not always possible so sometimes we do end up eating in these areas. When we do, I don’t expect anything special and try to say away from places that claim they are serving authentic so-and-so. If I want to try something local and authentic, I’ll rather have it outside touristy areas as I’m pretty sure it will be more authentic and better.

As with anything else there is bound to be exceptions to the rule. So, I’m sure you can occasionally run across a great restaurant in a touristy area. To me food plays a major part during travel, so I’d rather not risk it when I don’t have to. That being said, research of local restaurants has sometimes ended up in finding a gem in surprising places.

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