Tourist Restaurant vs Local? — The Difference in Numbers
Two steps away from the tourist landmark makes the difference between paying triple and eating better. Learn how to find genuinely local restaurants.
You stood in front of the Eiffel Tower hungry — you walked into the nearest restaurant and ordered a sandwich for 18 euros 😩. And then you walked two streets and found the same sandwich for 5 euros at a local bakery — and it tasted better. That's not a coincidence. Restaurants close to major tourist attractions work on people who don't plan.
A local restaurant doesn't need to explain its food in pictures to its local customers — a menu written only in the local language = local. A menu in ten languages with large photos = tourist.
Good local restaurants don't need to drag customers from the street — their regulars come reliably. If they're calling you in from the door, they're probably relying on tourists.
A local knows where the good food is — if the tables are full of people who look like residents of the neighbourhood, this is your restaurant.
Golden rule — the further you get from the main tourist landmark, the lower the prices and the better the quality.
Quick Tips
Locals eat at different times — eating at their time leads you to their restaurants.
Side alleys have the finest food at the lowest prices in most cities.
Search results in the local language give you genuinely local restaurants.
Locals = local restaurant. Tourists only = tourist restaurant.
Useful Tools
The best meal of your trip won't be in a restaurant opposite a tourist landmark — it'll be in a small alley you discovered on foot. Walk more and search less. 🍽️