Finding a good restaurant can be a real challenge. Although today there are many online platforms with restaurant reviews, unfortunately they are not always accurate and thus not always helpful to us.
But there are quite a few subtle signs that tell us if we're going to eat at a good restaurant where they care about their guests and their experience, where they understand why cleanliness is important...
Before ordering your first meal at a restaurant you visit for the first time, pay attention to the following things!
1. If no one greets you when you arrive at the restaurant, go to another restaurant
In good restaurants, someone will always welcome you, greet you warmly, escort you to your table. They are aware of how important the first impression a guest gets when entering a restaurant is. If they're missing this crucial focus, they're probably missing something else.
2. If no one comes to your table in the first five minutes, you're in for bad service
A good waiter introduces himself and asks you what you'd like to drink a few minutes after you've sat down. If he is really very busy, he should at least tell you "I'll be with you right away." Absent this initial attention, guests feel unwelcome. The guest always comes first!
3. If the parking lot is dirty, the restaurant is probably dirty too
The cleanliness of the restaurant's exterior and surroundings can also tell us a lot about what we can expect inside. If there are a lot of cigarette butts in the parking lot, if garbage is sticking out of the trash cans, if the windows are dirty, etc., it is more than obvious that the management of this restaurant does not care much about cleanliness.
4. If the menus in the restaurant are dirty and damaged, you may have made a bad choice
Sometimes there are leftovers of dried drinks or food on the menus, two sides are glued together, there are greasy handprints on the covers. This is a red alert! Menus should be cleaned regularly and kept clean and beautiful. Cleanliness always comes first!
5. Dirty restrooms are definitely an indication that they don't understand how important the guest experience is in this restaurant
Cleanliness of toilets is alpha and omega. Those restaurants that understand the importance of cleanliness and the guest experience will ensure that the restrooms are always tidy, clean and fragrant, that soap and toilet paper are always available. If the restaurant doesn't care about the cleanliness of the restrooms, it's probably no better with the cleanliness of the kitchen.
6. If you're the only diner in a restaurant, there's probably a good reason
This is especially true if you came to the restaurant at times when it should be full, i.e. around lunch or dinner time. So if you come to a restaurant on the daily lunch menu and you're the only one there, better go somewhere else.
7. If they don't let you sit where you want, they probably aren't accommodating to their customers' needs
If you walk into a restaurant that's almost empty, but they won't let you sit where you want because the restaurant might fill up soon, you better leave. Here, potential guests are clearly more important than the experience of guests already in the restaurant.
8. Be aware that good reviews do not mean that the restaurant will be really good
Online reviews in particular can be quite misleading. You shouldn't believe everything you read online. Even average rated restaurants can surprise you. On the other hand, restaurants with great reviews can be very disappointing.
9. If the menu is too extensive and if the restaurant does not specialize in a specific food, consider another one
No single chef can be an expert in everything. Usually, he can really master the preparation of one or two types of dishes. That is why restaurants specialize in a specific type of food: seafood, Italian, Asian, meat, etc. So if you wanted a good steak, go to a restaurant that specializes in meat preparation and not, for example, a pizzeria.
