online restaurant review essay

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How to Write an Online Restaurant Review Without Being a Jerk

Do your part to make the internet a slightly better place by writing Google, Yelp, or TripAdvisor reviews that are actually helpful

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The world of dining and drinking is an obstacle course wrapped in a labyrinth wrapped in a logic puzzle — it’s full of pitfalls, gray areas, and bewildering questions that really shouldn’t even be questions (How do I find the bathroom?) and yet, somehow, are. Fortunately, your friends at Eater are here to help: Life Coach is a series of simple guides to the arcane rituals of modern dining. Have a question or a quandary you’d like us to tackle? Drop Life Coach a line .

Reading reviews before plunking down cash for a purchase has become practically mandatory, whether it’s for an air fryer or an SUV. You likely scour Amazon reviews for the best cheap wireless headphones, consult the Wirecutter on the best immersion blender, scope out hotels on TripAdvisor, or scroll through Yelp before deciding which local pizzeria to order from. Intrepid diners are particularly enthusiastic about checking out reviews for new restaurants, with consumer surveys indicating that 91 percent of people read online reviews for local businesses at least occasionally — because unlike a crappy pair of headphones, a bad meal can’t be returned.

But as anyone who’s spent time scouring restaurant reviews on Google, Yelp, Foursquare, or TripAdvisor knows, not all user-generated reviews are created equal: As Lifehacker notes , “The rule with sites like Yelp is to take the general sentiment of the reviews with the understanding that the strangely glowing ones are probably staff or management, while the particularly nasty and vitriolic ones are probably self-entitled people who like to hear themselves complain.” Actually useful reviews fall somewhere in the middle, uncolored by vested interest in the restaurant’s success or failure and painting a relatively objective opinion of the diner’s experience.

Whether it’s a five-star Google review for a new coffee shop or a one-star Yelp evaluation for a neighborhood restaurant that’s gone to hell under new management, chances are you’ve posted at least one online restaurant review in your internet career (and probably will again). Rather than contributing to the endless sea of bad reviews out there that suffer from a lack of useful details, a palpable sense of entitlement (i.e., “Food and staff was great but was my birthday and I didn’t get a free dessert. One star!”), or just plain mean-spiritedness, do your part to make the internet a slightly better place and write one that’s worth reading by keeping a few simple guidelines in mind.

Don’t announce yourself as a reviewer.

Professional restaurant critics typically remain anonymous when they dine out for reviews, and you should, too. Announcing yourself as a Yelper implies you expect special treatment, and that’s the kind of entitled attitude that spurred South Park to skewer Yelp reviewers in a legendary 2016 episode. Also, if you tell the staff you’re a reviewer and do get preferential treatment (better service, more carefully cooked food, bigger portions, etc.) then your review won’t reflect the typical experience someone can expect to have at that restaurant, therefore defeating the whole purpose of writing a review in the first place. (You’re writing this review to give the restaurant feedback and help your fellow diners decide where to best spend their hard-earned money and not to boost your own ego, right? Right? )

Consider your implicit bias.

When it comes to reviewing restaurants and food from cultures that are not your own, be mindful. No one’s saying you can’t have strong feelings about tacos if you’re not Mexican, but be wary of using terms like “authentic” and “hole in the wall.” According to a recent study of 20,000 Yelp reviews of NYC restaurants, non-European cuisines, particularly Chinese and Mexican, are judged more heavily on their “authenticity” — which is typically associated with qualities like cheap prices and plastic stools, “build[ing] an authenticity trap where reviews reinforce harmful stereotypes that then become nearly impossible for restaurateurs to shake off.” (Other studies indicate that this kind of casual racism also makes people more likely to think they received food poisoning from non-European restaurants , despite the fact that it’s notoriously difficult to pin down the source of foodborne illnesses.)

In addition to avoiding propping up the “authenticity” trap, if it’s a cuisine you’re unfamiliar with, consider doing the tiniest bit of research before criticizing it. Saying “The meat in my pho had a lot of chewy gristle” when it was actually the beef tendon stated on the menu makes you look like a jerk, and you’re also missing an opportunity to expand your own culinary horizons.

Be specific and detailed with your feedback — positive or negative.

General statements like “The food was awesome!!” or “The steak sucked” aren’t particularly helpful to a reader, nor are they helpful to a restaurant owner who might be reading their reviews in search of actionable feedback. Unless it’s, say, a walk-up window or a takeout-only spot, aim to cover the three big points — food, service, and ambience — and be specific about what you liked (and what you didn’t): Say the pizza had plenty of toppings and a nice crispy crust, or that your server was friendly and attentive, or that the playlist sucked because it had too much Nickelback.

Also, don’t write a review of a place you went a year ago just to up your review count in pursuit of some sort of imaginary online clout. Reviews that say things like, “Went here a few months ago, don’t really remember specifics but food was okay, staff sucked” are surprisingly common and are useful to precisely no one.

Don’t take free food in exchange for leaving a good review.

Besides being against most review sites’ terms of service, accepting free food in exchange for leaving a good review and not disclosing it is actually a violation of Federal Trade Commission guidelines . Sure, the odds of getting busted for a review you wrote about a local burger spot in exchange for a free order of cheese fries are close to zero, but if you suffer from typical millennial anxiety, it’s just one more thing to keep you awake at night.

Before leaving a bad review, give the restaurant a chance to make it right.

Don’t post a negative review over something like food that came out cold, overcooked steak, or a flat glass of prosecco without first attempting to address it with the staff. Restaurants want you to be satisfied — give them a chance. No, it is not your job to only write glowing reviews of restaurants. You’re (probably) not a PR person or a marketing shill. But it is your civic duty to not trash someone’s business just for the hell of it. And wouldn’t you prefer having a good dining experience over racing home to gleefully write a one-star review? (Hopefully.)

Also, definitely don’t write a bad review while you’re still at the restaurant in lieu of talking to a manager about an issue that may have arisen, whether it’s a rude server or a cockroach. This sounds ridiculous, but it happens more than you’d think — especially on Yelp.

And if the restaurant makes it right, reconsider that one-star review: Say your steak arrived overcooked, but the server promptly whisked it away and returned with a proper med-rare specimen, or your soup was oversalted, but the manager took it off your bill. Restaurants are complex operations and mistakes happen — what’s really important is whether the staff resolved the issue when you brought it to their attention.

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30+ Good Restaurant Review Examples to Copy & Paste

Having good restaurant reviews is crucial these days. It is not just making our decision to pick one easier, it is also helping the restaurant be more successful. You can quickly copy and paste these good restaurant review examples, publish them on Facebook , Yelp or other rating platform and help the restaurant get higher ratings and more customers.

Good Restaurant Review Examples

LEGEND for Good restaurant review examples: – Restaurant name – ( RN ) – City name – ( CN ) – Food name – ( FN )

1. This cozy restaurant has left the best impressions! Hospitable hosts, delicious dishes, beautiful presentation, wide wine list and wonderful dessert. I recommend to everyone! I would like to come back here again and again.

2 . First time in ( RN ) and YOU have to go! It’s the cutest little spot with amazing food. The ( FN ) is to die for. IT WAS FIRE!! The service we received was so amazing and we will definitely be back again. They made us feel welcomed and gave us an amazing experience.

4 . This place is great! Atmosphere is chill and cool but the staff is also really friendly. They know what they’re doing and what they’re talking about, and you can tell making the customers happy is their main priority. Food is pretty good, some italian classics and some twists, and for their prices it’s 100% worth it.

7 . I have to say, I enjoyed every single bite of the meal in ( RN ). I had a 3 course meal, with a couple of beers. Considering the quality, the price is reasonable. Ideal for those who want a romantic night out. There was also plenty of room for bigger groups.

More Good Restaurant Review Examples on the next page

How to Write a Restaurant Review Essay

You’ve probably been to a restaurant, whether it was for dinner with family or friends or just because you were craving some delicious food. But have you ever stopped to think about what makes a great restaurant?

There are so many different things that can make or break your experience at a restaurant. It could be the ambiance, the food taste, or even how quickly it arrived at your table. And sometimes, you cannot know all these unless you read a restaurant review.

But even if you do not know how to write one, this article covers all you need to know about writing a restaurant review. Further, you will learn what makes a restaurant review stand out, be valuable, and score a high grade if asked to write one by your professor.

Generally, a restaurant review essay consists of three major parts; the introduction, body, and conclusion. Each section can be one or more paragraphs and has a distinctive role and information. Let’s see how these three parts play out and make the entire essay.

Major parts of a restaurant review essay

The introduction.

This is the first part of the review essay and gives a brief background on the spot. The information includes the name of the restaurant, location, and contact details in case you need to make reservations or get more information about the place before visiting it.

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We are now taking exams and courses

Ideally, this is one paragraph, although sometimes it may be longer. However, aim for a concise section because it is a pacesetter to the review.

The body section is where you talk about what makes this place unique. You can start with an overview of the food served here by describing each item on their menu, followed by its price range.

Further, you can mention how good their service is compared to other restaurants in the city or state. You can also mention some interesting facts about this establishment, like whether they have won any awards from local authorities or not.

The Conclusion

The conclusion is the last part and sums up the entire review. It is also the section you restate your opinion and verdict about the joint.

How to Write an Effective Review

Even if it is your first time writing, or you have not perfected your art, these tips will help you to write an effective restaurant review essay

Choose a Restaurant

It is common knowledge the first step in writing an effective restaurant review essay is choosing a restaurant. However, your choice should be meticulous so that you do not find yourself lacking material to write about.

Ideally, you should choose one that has been around for some time, has received good reviews from others, or has received several awards from local newspapers or magazines. Further, look for an establishment offering different cuisines such as Chinese or Mexican. This way, you won’t be limited by only having one type of food to write on.

To find a restaurant, you can research the restaurant by visiting it, checking its website, or asking your friends if they have ever been there. You can also read online reviews from other customers who have visited this place. In addition, make sure that you check out each review carefully before deciding whether or not they are credible enough for you to use in your paper.

Start with a Draft

Now that you’ve chosen a restaurant, it’s time to write your review. You may be tempted to jump straight into it, but before writing anything down, take a few minutes to think about what you want to say.

What did you like and dislike about the food? How was their service? Did they have a great ambiance? Was it expensive or cheap? Write down these thoughts to be fresh in mind when writing your final draft.

If you’re unsure how many stars out of five this place deserves, just guess for now. Later, you can go over each section individually and decide exactly how many stars each rating should be worth.

Give background information about the restaurant

Spot reviews must have crucial details which help readers know where to find the place and what to expect.

Thus when writing a restaurant review, you’ll want to give your readers some background information about the restaurant. This includes;

• The name of the restaurant
• The location of the restaurant
• What kind of food do they serve (e.g., Asian fusion)
• How long they’ve been open and how popular they are

Clearly state your stand and view about the restaurant

If you have had a personal experience with the restaurant, it is recommended to express your viewpoint. But even if you have not, state it but be objective and professional by quoting other credible reviews.

To be perfect in this area, follow the following tips.

• Be honest with your review.
• Be fair with your review.
• Be specific about what you liked and disliked.

Avoid Using the “I” Pronoun Constantly

Despite a review being about your experience, excessive use of “I” makes it appear subjective. This is because when writing a restaurant review essay, the goal is to focus on the restaurant itself, not necessarily your personal experience with it.

However, you can include brief comments on your personal feelings, but they should be limited and used only when relevant and helpful to the reader. Your primary focus should be on describing what happened at the restaurant and how it affected you rather than focusing on yourself as an individual.

Include pros and cons

Your review must be objective and not subjective, which is achieved if you give both sides of the story. If you don’t like something about the restaurant, don’t be afraid to say But if there are some things that are great about the restaurant, make sure you mention them too.

Furthermore, ensure your paragraphs are well-structured and easy for readers to understand. For example, if there are three reasons why people should visit this restaurant, explain them one by one instead of all at once.

This separation helps readers understand each reason clearly without confusion or distraction from other points made in the paragraph before or after.

Restate your Stance in the Conclusion

The final paragraph of a restaurant review essay should restate your opinion and provide readers with a summary of the strengths and weaknesses you have identified. The last sentence of this paragraph should clearly state whether or not you would recommend this restaurant to friends and family.

Further, restating your stance is helpful because it helps you to reinforce your point. The reader will likely be able to recall what you have said in the beginning and then apply it to what you have said later on in this paragraph.

We hope this article has given you a better understanding of how to write a restaurant review essay. Remember that it’s always important to have an open mind when reviewing any business to give accurate information about your experience.

However, remember you can always revise your essay after you have completed it to add any other information or opinions that may have come up since you wrote the first draft. That way, by turning in your paper, your essay will read as though a restaurant connoisseur and chief critic wrote it.

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Vera is a Senior Content Writer at a Singaporean lifestyle publication, ConfirmGood where she covers stories on all things food, lifestyle, and perspectives.

Throughout my career as a content writer at various lifestyle publications in Singapore , many a time have I been tasked to write a review for a restaurant .

A review of a restaurant is incredibly important to the business. Given that 94% of diners refer to reviews before making a decision to eat somewhere, the power reviews have to sway the consumer’s decision is immense.

Having been in this profession for a while now, I can safely say that I’ve seen my fair share of good and bad examples of restaurant reviews. And boy, do I have something to say!

But before I go into the details, let’s start with the basics. How should you structure your restaurant review article?

Restaurant review format

1) lay the table.

Just as how you’d set up the table in preparation for every meal, you need to set up your article in preparation for your readers’ eyes.

Provide some background information about the restaurant, its owner(s), and what it specializes in. Check out the opening paragraph of our Carne Burgers Singapore Review : 

The reader is immediately hit with some key facts that establishes the restaurant as a reputable business. If a sustainability-focused restaurant run by a Michelin star chef doesn’t entice you, I don’t know what does.

A well-written introduction is essential as a hook to capture your reader’s attention right from the being and keep them engaged til the end of your review.

2) Start serving your mains

Now that you’ve invited your readers to the table, it’s time to show them what the restaurant has to offer.

A majority of the body of your restaurant review should showcase the best dishes the establishment has to offer. Check out what we showcased in our Seoul Garden a la carte menu review .

As a buffet restaurant, Seoul Garden has a wide selection of cooked and uncooked food items on its menu. But we only featured the most popular and best-looking items. And these are the Wagyu Picanha and Salmon slices.

You should always feature the best items that the owner wants to feature and take good pictures of them ot feature in your restaurant review. The first impression always counts 👀

Some things that should be in in this part of your review include what the dishes are, why you ordered them, and what makes them great. Describe the sight , smell , flavours , and texture of the dishes you’re reviewing. You’ll be surprised by how effective these descriptive paragraphs can be in selling the restaurant.

Quick tip 💡 Prepare an arsenal of words you can use to describe food so you can easily pull them out to use in your article.

3) Wrapping things up

End off by summarizing why you enjoyed (or did not enjoy) the food. I’d strongly recommend adding some quirky final thoughts to leave your readers with a cute aftertaste. 

You can look at what I wrote for my review on Restaurant Salt.

Tips on writing great restaurant reviews

1) learn from the best restaurant review sites.

As with learning any new skill, look at what others have already done. 

A great source of restaurant reviews are lifestyle publications. They are generally divided into different sections like travel, finance, and food. ConfirmGood’s food blog showcases some of the best places to it in Singapore.

Check out the various articles we’ve put out to learn how to write great restaurant reviews. Learn the vocabulary, structure, and writing style.

2) Look at Tripadvisor and Google restaurant reviews

This one may come as a surprise to some of you. Why would you want to refer to reviews left behind by random people? After all, these aren’t professional food writers . What’s there to learn from?

If you take a look at the list of reviews you see on such sites, you’ll notice that some of these reviews are exceptionally well written. You can pick up pretty useful vocabulary from them. I guess some people really take writing reviews on Google really seriously 🤣

Another reason why you should look at restaurant reviews is because you get to learn about what is important to a customer. Perhaps being led to the table properly is important to some. To others, it’s really just the quality of the food. See what pops up most often and take note of it.

If a restaurant hires you to write a review about them, you should include these factors in your article when promoting the business.

3) Take the best photos

Taking great pictures of the food you are reviewing is absolutely necessary. Words alone cannot do the job of convincing your readers to eat at a particular restaurant. 

Humans are visual creatures and well-taken shots of the restaurants’ best dishes can help sway your readers’ decision.

4) STOP USING “DELICIOUS”, “GREAT”, “GOOD”

Expand your food vocabulary.

If you want to write great restaurant reviews, you can’t describe that flaky pastry that oozes creamy custard fulling as delicious.

You aren’t doing the melt-in-your-mouth tender steak any justice by calling it amazing.

So just stop ❌

Again, refer to the article I listed above for some good examples of words and phrases you can use to describe food.

5) Include the restaurant’s story

A restaurant is more than its menu.

It’s also about its history, its owners’ histories, culture, and even purpose.

Establishing the restaurant’s story in the introduction of your review can help pique your readers’ interest in the place.

6) Pay attention to cultural nuances

To add to my previous point, you should always be mindful when writing about food.

Do not refer to dishes as ‘ethnic’, ‘exotic’, or worse, ‘oriental’.

Food carries with them the long history of struggle and achievements of the culture which they are from. You need to be respectful of that.

7) It’s ok to not like the food

You don’t have to lie when writing restaurant reviews.

This may even cause the restaurant to receive harsher negative reviews as they were overhyped by your article. So don’t be afraid to be honest about how you find their food. Just don’t trash them unnecessarily. 

You’re all set to start writing an awesome restaurant review !

Those are my top 7 restaurant review writing tips. I hope you’ve found them useful. Becoming a food writer is not going to be easy. But this article is a great start for you!

To get more writing tips to help improve your writing, check out Writing Wildly’s amazing writing blog !

More resources

How to write an awesome & engaging blog post for a business, top 21 finance & investment blogs in singapore, 10 reasons why content writing is important for business & marketing.

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The Benefits of Writing a Restaurant Review

• Which restaurant review is best?
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• How to Write a Restaurant Review: 10 Tips and Examples

Writing an engaging restaurant review doesn't have to be difficult. Follow these 10 tips plus examples to craft an informative and persuasive review that will help other diners make informed decisions.

Writing a restaurant review can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. With the right tips and examples, you can craft an informative and engaging review that will help other diners make informed decisions. To get started, do a background investigation of the restaurant. Visit the establishment as a customer, not a reviewer, and take note of the variety of offers, prices, and the amount of food you get for what you pay.

Use specific details to relate food quality , such as ingredients, spiciness, texture and appearance. Consider taking pictures of your meal as an easy reference. Most professional critics visit a restaurant more than once to get a balanced view of what to expect. If you are a restaurateur, your work will be reviewed online.

It's unavoidable, even though it may seem invasive and rude. The best thing you can do is face the beast head-on by asking your guests to review you and interacting with guests online. When writing your review, inform readers immediately that it contains useful information and is worth reading. Open the review with an attractive line that promises an interesting reward (whether delicious or dreadful).

A good restaurant review should advocate for the needs of potential customers and provide feedback that companies can use to improve or evaluate their service. If you've visited a restaurant several times and only once had a bad experience, be sure to write it down in your review. When the online review system was introduced, restaurants and other businesses also improved their quality and service to get more positive feedback from guests. So, don't write a bad review while you're at the restaurant instead of talking to a manager about a problem that may have arisen.

Ask them (kindly) if they would take the time to share their thoughts, opinions and experiences on a review site where your restaurant is listed. A good restaurant review can point you to your new favorite spot or help you avoid a gastronomic disaster. While the main purpose of a restaurant review is to persuade readers to visit (or avoid) a particular food establishment, it is also a valuable exercise in using sensory details to stimulate readers' interests and appetite.

Kayla Zimmerly

Award-winning tea scholar. Subtly charming zombie expert. Typical travel fan. Incurable foodaholic. Devoted tv nerd.

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Thursday, February 16

How to write a restaurant review.

The Association of Food Journalists: How to Write a Review 

The goals of a critic should be to be fair, honest, to understand and illuminate the cuisine about which he or she is writing. A critic should look beyond specific dishes and experiences and attempt to capture the whole of a restaurant and its intentions.

4 stars : Extraordinary. The standard by which you judge other restaurants. 3 stars : Excellent. Great food, wonderful atmosphere, good service, all around wonderful experience. 2 stars : Good. A solid example of a particular kind of restaurant (e.g., sushi, Italian, and so on). 1 star : Okay. The restaurant did one thing well. Perhaps one dish was delicious, or the restaurant had a fabulous waitstaff, or you enjoyed the atmosphere. Still, you’re not going to hurry back to a 1 star restaurant, but you would go again. 0 stars : Poor. Nothing about the restaurant made you want to return.

The Actual Writing

1. hook the reader with the first sentence, 2. make it personal.

“In How To Eat  I thought aloud about food, shared my enthusiasms and prejudices and tried to explain how and why I cook any one dish at any time. It is an intensely personal book: any authentic collection of recipes is in part autobiography; and in my case, many of these recipes were a kind of memorial to the food cooked by my mother, Vanessa, and my sister, Thomasina.”

3. Be Objective

A few of my favorite cookbooks:, 3 comments:.

Wow, great post.

So look good. Thanks you!

Glad you liked it! :-)

Because of the number of bots leaving spam I had to prevent anonymous posting. My apologies. I do appreciate each and every comment.

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Restaurant Essay: Review & Evaluation of a Restaurant, Topics, Prompts

It might be quite an unusual topic to write about. Don’t worry, we will explain how to outline your work and advise what you should and shouldn’t do.

In this article, we will tell you how to write a restaurant review essay. We have prepared some tips, a list of topics, writing prompts, and three essay samples. You will also find the FAQ section at the end of the article. Let’s begin!

• 🍽️ Restaurant Essay Writing Tips
• 🥗 85 Restaurant Essay Topics
• 📊 Restaurant Evaluation Samples

🍽️ Restaurant Essay. Writing Tips

Here are some valuable tips on restaurant essay writing. Use these hacks to save your time and nerves and make a perfect writing piece.

Start a Restaurant Essay with Research

Research essays of other scholars and professional critics’ reviews. Based on the discovered information, decide what kind of essay suits you the best. Also, research the restaurant that you will describe in the paper.

Here are the things you need to consider:

• Vocabulary. Notice the specific language that appears in this type of writing. Make a small glossary and search for the meaning of frequently used words.
• Structure. Probably, you need to write a descriptive paper. Research its structure and observe how others implement it in long and short essays.
• Critical thinking. Everything you have found needs evaluation. Not all of the information is relevant. And more importantly, not all of the sources are worth your attention.
• Your notes. Make sure you include all the ideas you’ve found for your restaurants essay.

Be Objective in Any Kind of Essay about Restaurant

Sure, the paper should reflect your opinion. But don’t make it a Google review. You need to support your thoughts with solid argumentation and evidence.

Follow these tips to be more objective:

• Use exact numbers. For example, instead of “many,” write the number or percentage.
• Write in the third person. Unless you have other instructions, avoid using the word “I” and such statements as “I believe,” “I think,” or “in my opinion.” But if your topic is “My favorite restaurant,” or you do a review based on your experience, it is okay to make it first-person.
• Don’t use words that can exaggerate your writing. Such terms as “very,” “really,” “never” are better to avoid.
• Support your statements with facts. If you express a thought, prove it with credible sources.

Outline Your Restaurant Essay

You need an outline to create a roadmap to your restaurant essay. It is also useful when it comes to planning your time and the content of the paper.

• Introduction. Explain the focus of the paper and provide background. Introduce the questions that you will answer in the following paragraphs. Don’t forget to make the last sentence your thesis statement. It will be a summary of what you will describe in the body of your essay.
• Body . The content of body paragraphs depends on the type of paper. For example, in an argumentative essay, each passage presents a separate argument. Let’s suppose you write an essay about your favorite restaurant. Describe these aspects separately: cuisine, interior, and service. Add details and analyze them.
• Conclusion. Summarize the main points of your essay and synthesize the information. Restate your thesis and don’t introduce any new information.

🥗 85 Food & Restaurant Essay Topics

Here we will suggest some titles for your restaurant evaluation essay. You can pick one of those or use it as a starting point.

Restaurant Review Essay

• How do restaurants and cafes use social media for their benefit?
• Describe a business plan to enhance a restaurant’s revenue.
• What is the best time to visit a restaurant?
• Describe your most unpleasant experience in a restaurant.
• Review a popular restaurant in your town.
• Restaurant takeaway food review: Does it feel the same to eat restaurant food at home?
• Tell a story about visiting a restaurant as a child.
• What restaurant would you recommend to people who visit your town?
• Fast food restaurants: Review.
• Describe a restaurant you would never visit again.
• Review a restaurant that is the nearest to your home.
• Best Food Superstores’ negative customer experience.

Restaurant Evaluation Essay

• Evaluation of the main course in a restaurant.
• Evaluation of the service provided in a restaurant.
• Pizza Hut Restaurant’s evaluation using Porter’s Five Forces model.
• Evaluation of entertainment in a restaurant.
• Evaluation of the interior in a restaurant.
• Evaluation of the quality of food in a restaurant.
• Evaluation of the concept of a restaurant.
• Evaluation of a popular chain of restaurants.
• The Penang Mutiara Restaurant operations management.
• How can you define that the restaurant you visit is a good one?
• Evaluation of Highlands Restaurant.
• What three criteria would you use to evaluate any restaurant?
• Legal Seafood Company’s mission, culture and philosophy.
• Compare your expectations and an authentic experience visiting a restaurant.
• Frank’s All-American BarBeQue restaurant analysis.

My Favorite Restaurant Essay

• Describe an imaginary ideal restaurant you would like to visit.
• Describe your favorite fast-food restaurant chain.
• How many favorite restaurants did you have in your life?
• Describe your favorite restaurant that you visited while traveling.
• What was your favorite restaurant in childhood?
• What are the things that your favorite restaurant lacks?
• Tell your readers about the first experience visiting your favorite restaurant.
• Describe your favorite dish served in a restaurant.
• The reasons why you like your favorite restaurant.
• How do people choose their favorite restaurants?

Home Cooking vs. Restaurant Cooking Essay

• The advantages and disadvantages of eating in a restaurant.
• Restaurant training: Country cooking program.
• Is it possible for a regular person to cook like restaurant chefs?
• Describe your favorite meal that you can cook at home.
• Mexican cuisine: restaurant vs. home food.
• Tell about a dish that is traditional in your family.
• Is there something that you can cook better than in a restaurant?
• Restaurant business model: How much should the dishes cost?
• Do you prefer eating at home or in restaurants?
• Is there a restaurant dish that you would like to learn to cook?
• Why do people visit restaurants instead of eating at home?

Other Restaurant Essay Topics

• Restaurant services and competitive advantage.
• Operations management and productivity at Hard Rock Café.
• Strategic marketing of Oishi Gourmet Restaurant.
• Mega sport events impact on London’s restaurant market.
• Novikov Group: Internationalization of the Russian restaurant business.
• Café Coffee Day: Business plan.
• Briefing for restaurant employees.
• Restaurant outsourcing: Case study.
• Managers’ motivation in the US restaurant business.
• Effective management of a restaurant.
• Motivating the Nectar Restaurant waitresses.
• “Angliss Restaurant”: Angliss Entertainment Complex’s code of conduct.

Food Essay Topics

• Fresh food for low income families and individuals.
• Genetically modified food overview.
• History of sustainable global food economy.
• Ben Foods Pte.: Online ERP integration sales catalogue.
• Youngsters’ and television: Impact of food advertisements on an increase in obesity rates.
• Loving Organic Foods: Case report.
• Effects of climate change on agriculture and food.
• Whole Foods Market Inc.’s finance and capital.
• McDonald’s fast food company: Operations management.
• Kudler Fine Foods Company’s marketing research.
• Technology transfer in global food management.
• The Whole Foods Company’s opportunities and threats.
• Kudler Fine Foods Store’s marketing analysis.
• Whole Foods Market company analysis.
• Foodstuffs Company’s strategic human resource management.
• Kraft Food Group’s integrative analysis.
• Bay Health Foods Company’s environments.
• Sainsbury’s Supermarket: The UK food retail industry.
• Indian ethnic food in the UK: The new product development.
• Multinational company in the fast food industry: McDonald’s.
• McDonald’s leadership role in the fast-food industry.
• An evaluation of the Prospects for Sainsbury’s Supermarkets in the UK food retail industry.
• Fast food industry: Service quality and customer retention.
• The triple bottom line in a snack food company.
• Working conditions in the seafood industry.

📊 Restaurant Evaluation Essay Sample

Here are a few samples of essays on restaurants and cuisine. Use them as references for your future writing. You can also find some inspiration or ideas in the passages.

Restaurant Review Essay: Modernity in the Heart of Brooklyn

Modernity is a contemporary experimental restaurant located in the heart of Brooklyn. A blue neon sign which blinks from time to time attracts your attention immediately. This restaurant is a good place for people who look for the unusual interior, interesting food, and fast service. The restaurant looks like a futuristic mix of bright colors, unusual furniture, and futurism. There are two floors, a bar on the first floor and tables of different sizes and shapes on the second floor. The walls are decorated with abstract paintings, pictures of aliens and UFOs, and small neon signs like the one above the entrance. The staff wears uniforms that remind space suits. Light techno music and static sounds are playing. The restaurant is consistent with its name. The menu might seem confusing when you first open it. Such dishes as “Martian’s brain” or “Unicorn’s milk” turn out to be pumpkin soup served with colorful bread and a milkshake. I ordered a dish called “Jupiter on vacation” and a “Weightlessness” drink. They brought me a chicken bowl with blue seasoning that reminded Jupiter and a dark cherry drink with zero calories. Modernity is a place where you can try amazing food, but it is pretty simple in taste. As soon as I arrived and chose a table, a smiling waiter gave me the menu. I just had to press the “Emergency evacuation” button to see him again and place my order. They brought it in five minutes, which is quite fast for a restaurant full of visitors. The waiters and waitresses seem busy and going from one part of the restaurant to another. I recommend visiting Modernity at least once to see the way it looks and enjoy the service. It is a place where every detail is conceptual and exciting. If you are looking for a restaurant where you can take some photos and enjoy a creative atmosphere, Modernity is a good choice.

A cafe called Cliff is not far from where I live. You might not even notice it in the surrounding trees; however, this is what makes Cliff worth visiting. I love this place because of its qualitative coffee and meals, beautiful location, and service. They serve specialty coffee, which made me their regular customer. Its taste is a perfect mix of bitterness, chocolate flavor, and a bit of sour aftertaste. I am a big coffee lover, so this café impressed me. Cliff also offers twenty different deserts that are an excellent match to a cup of coffee. Some of them are vegan options; that is why anyone can choose a treat for themselves. You can also order a sandwich or a salad here, and the food is always fresh. Their approach to nature deserves respect. The café’s outside area looks like a small park with tiny chairs, tables, and benches. If you ask for a blanket or bring your own, you can enjoy your meal sitting on the lawn in a comfortable position. Cliff is a ten-minute walk from my apartment, so I often go there to study surrounded by these beautiful trees. The interior combines brown and grey colors; most of the objects are made of concrete and wood. The waiters and baristas are cheerful and always ready for a small chat. They help me with my choice and complete the orders fast. Cliff also has quite a fast Internet connection. That is the reason why I regularly see at least ten freelancers working there constantly. The music that plays there is not too loud, but you can still hear it from any spot. Cliff looks clean and neat, that is why I enjoy every minute I spend there. There are many good coffee shops in the area, and this one is worth your attention. Try this place if you enjoy nature, polite service, and a peaceful atmosphere. Choose your favorite coffee drink and a small dessert to dine in the garden.

I don’t visit restaurants so often because my father is a chef. He has been in the culinary sphere for more than 20 years, working in an Italian restaurant. I prefer eating at home to eat as delicious food as in restaurants, hone my culinary skills, and spend more time with my family. Every meal my father cooks at home is a product of his professional approach and good taste. He even creates his dishes and invites us to try them. He changes recipes, experiments with flavors and seasonings, and describes everything he did while we were testing the dish. I feel like a famous food critic each time I try to guess the ingredients and the way of cooking. The next thing I love about eating at home is cooking. I enjoy spending time in the kitchen, even though I know I will not do it professionally one day. My dream is to become a software engineer, but good cooking skills are always a benefit. Having such a teacher as my father, I am sure my culinary skills become better each time. We buy groceries, cook, eat, and clean up together. It is like a small ritual that became a tradition in our family. That is far more than just visiting a restaurant to me. We don’t wear fancy clothes, stand in a queue or make reservations, and spend as much time as we want together. We find it more convenient since we have fun and don’t have to go anywhere. Eating at home can be a better experience than eating in a restaurant if you enjoy cooking. There are so many things to explore. You can try different cuisines, experiment with recipes, and teach each other. If you haven’t tried such time spending, I highly recommend it!

How to Structure a Restaurant Essay?

Most academic essays consist of five paragraphs. In your restaurant essay, include an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You can also make a small glossary before the introduction or in it.

How to Write a Restaurant Review Essay?

Share your experience through making a narrative. Provide some background information about a restaurant and describe your general opinion. Explain your point in the following paragraphs, support it with evidence. Conclude your essay with a summary of the evaluation and state whether you recommend it or not.

How to Write the Name of a Restaurant in an Essay?

If you want to avoid mistakes, visit the restaurant’s website. You can find the exact spelling there. In your essay, start it with a capital letter. Don’t use quotation marks unless they appear in the official name of the restaurant. If the restaurant doesn’t have a website, try to find their social media accounts.

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Restaurant Review - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

A restaurant review is an evaluation of a dining experience written by a critic or a customer. It typically includes details about the food quality, service, ambiance, price, and overall dining experience. Restaurant reviews can be found in online platforms, such as Yelp or TripAdvisor, or in print media, such as newspapers or magazines. They serve as a guide for potential customers to decide whether they should visit the restaurant or not. Restaurant reviews can be both positive or negative and can influence the restaurant’s reputation and success.

• 📘 Free essay examples for your ideas about Restaurant Review
• 🏆 Best Essay Topics on Restaurant Review
• ⚡ Simple & Restaurant Review Easy Topics
• 🎓 Good Research Topics about Restaurant Review

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Restaurant Review (Essay/Paper Sample) 2023

If you like this essay, don’t be shine to  Pay People for Essays at EssayBasics .

Are Cheap Essays Legit and Is it realistic to expect a low-cost, High-Quality Essay from a Cheap Paper Writing Service ? Most of the time when people are looking to try out restaurants they usually ask for suggestions from friends or family members. If they are new to the place they simply start looking for online reviews for nearby hotels. It’s no lie that good and bad reviews can either make or break a restaurant’s reputation. Through this essay, I will provide a review of how I felt when I visited the Papua restaurant. 

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500 words Long Essay on Restaurant Review for Kids of Class 3 to Class 9

When people are looking to try some new restaurant, they start looking for online reviews. Reviews are by far the best way to judge whether you should or shouldn’t try a restaurant. Today’s essay is a review of a Papua restaurant. 

Papua restaurant is situated in the heart of a small town in Makuta Province, Peru. It is perched on top of mara hill. It’s a favorite hangout place for couples, families, and sportsmen. The atmosphere is welcoming and admirable. Out of all the different restaurants I visited in Peru, this one had the most beautiful climate and eye-catching scenery. When you enter you get aw-stuck by the amazing interior and beautiful environment. You start to feel all cozy and comfortable when you sit and look around.

The restaurant offers its customers a wide range of entertainment options. These include live bands, plays, clubbing, camping, etc. All these facilities enable the customers to explore the countryside. They do also offer accommodation services with a wide array of choices for couples, singles, and families. Their accommodation rooms are well-designed and provide a magnificent view of Mara hill.

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Now we come to the most important section, which is none other than the food section. The restaurant offers a wide variety of delicious food items including fried rice, steak, different cuisines, Chinese & Italian food along with mouth-watering dessert and chicken dishes. The owner himself instructed the waiters to attend to each customer for the best quality. 

They also had a small snack bar that I loved. From the snack bar, I ate Ceviche, one of the most popular snacks in Peru. It was chilly, sour, and lively at the same time. I never tried raw fish before that and was skeptical at first but when I finally tried it, it blew my mind away. I would love to try it again, even a million times more. Based on my experience of the food I tried in this restaurant, how it tasted, and how well it was presented I would recommend it to all of you reading my review.

Let’s now talk about the room service. It was also good but not great, it wasn’t great because the rooms were less clean and untidy. Whenever I ordered food it arrived late because the room service was not quick enough. Other than that, they came every time I prompted. They were really friendly, skilled, and dedicated individuals. Despite all that, they still need to work on the tidiness of the rooms and the time they take to deliver the food. 

The pros and cons of the Restaurant:

Overall it was a great experience. If I were to score it on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 9 or else a 4.5-star review. 

The Pros of this Hotel

The atmosphere, the taste of food, outside view, meals, dining experience, and price of food were all amazing. In addition to this, the accommodation services offered by the restaurant at those prices were a blessing.    

The Cons of this Hotel

As I also mentioned above, based on my experience, the restaurant had one downside and it was the room service. Other than that I was completely satisfied with all other services offered.

My Recommendation

Concisely, Papua restaurants deliver the best dining experience with exquisite flavors. I highly recommend going there and to experience it yourself. I am hopeful that everyone will enjoy all they offer and not just the food. I would love to visit again if I ever get a chance to travel to Peru. 

Short 150-200 Words Restaurant Review Essay in English for Children and Kids from Primary and High School

I am writing a review of the beautiful Papua restaurant I recently visited during my time in Peru. This hotel is situated in the heart of a small town in Makuta Province, Peru. It is constructed on top of the elegant Mara hill. 

When you enter the hotel you get awe-stuck by the delightful merge of antique art and modern designs. The designs and architecture coupled with elegant lighting leave you all cozy and relaxed. From the top of the mountains where the lounge is pegged, there was a breathtaking view of the slopes and the short waterfall. 

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Adjacent to a winding road downhill there are the rolling plains that add to its beauty. They offer live bands, clubbing, camping, and accommodation services. During my stay, I had the pleasure of experiencing their accommodation, clubbing, and food services.

The restaurant’s menu was mouth-watering with a plethora of options. Most meals were prepared from fresh, healthy organic ingredients found in abundance within the restaurant vicinity. Some of their recipes featured local flavors which you should surely try out, they were rare and delicious delicacies. 

The accommodation was also very neat and tidy with room service always standing by for anything we needed. On top of that, the breathtaking view I had from my room was something I will never forget.

I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is thinking about visiting Peru. The quality of food, the location, family atmosphere, and accommodation services were all up to the mark. It’s also a great couple and family space. Based on my experience, I would give it a 5-star review and would love to visit again if I ever can. 

FAQ’s About Restaurant Review Essay 

Q1: how to write a restaurant review essay .

Answer: Start with the introduction of the restaurant in the opening paragraph. Talk about their services and how you felt about them in the body. End it with positive or negative feedback.

Q2: How do you start a restaurant review essay?

Answer: Start the hotel review essay by giving an introduction to the restaurant. Like where it’s located, how it looked at first sight, why did you visit it in the first place, and then move on to the body section. 

Q3: How do you write a review essay?

Answer: For this, you should first introduce what you are going to review. After that provide strong arguments when you discuss how you felt there. End it with a conclusion based on those arguments. 

Q4: How do you write a restaurant food review?

To do a food review always make sure you focus on all the aspects of the food and not just the taste. These criteria might include hygiene, food presentation, freshness, the menu, and most importantly the taste.

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Write a review for the restaurant – B1 English Writing Test

• Writing Tests for B1

1    Reading

a   Read the reviews and tick ( ✓) the correct column.

Review A: ‘The tastiest Italian food in London?’

I took my Italian friend here for his birthday and he absolutely loved it. The atmosphere was really relaxing and the waiters were friendly and extremely helpful. All the food was really fresh and the portions were generous. The tiramisu that we had for our dessert was absolutely delicious. Paolo says it’s the best he’s ever had – apart from his mum’s, of course! Although our meal was rather expensive, we didn’t mind paying a bit more than usual because the food was so good. I’d definitely recommend this restaurant if you want to eat lovely food in a relaxing atmosphere. EMMA T

Review B: ‘Not the most relaxing evening …’

A colleague at work recommended this place but we thought it was rather disappointing. First of all, the atmosphere wasn’t very relaxing. It was a bit noisy, perhaps because it was a Friday night and the restaurant was rather busy. Also, the music was too loud so it was hard to talk. Secondly, although the waiters were very friendly, there weren’t enough of them when we were there and so the service was slow. Unfortunately, when our food eventually arrived it wasn’t very good. Our steaks were a bit overcooked and the salad wasn’t very fresh. Finally, the portions weren’t very big and we thought the meal was rather overpriced. All in all, I’m afraid I wouldn’t recommend it. DAVID M

b   Read the reviews again. Are the sentences true or false?

1   In Emma’s opinion, the service was good.

2   Emma didn’t enjoy her dessert.

3   Emma thought the price of her meal was too high.

4   There weren’t many people there when David went to this restaurant.

5   David had to wait a long time for his food to arrive.

6   David was rather disappointed by the quality of his food.

a    1 A   2 B   3 A   4 A

b     True: 1, 5, 6;   False: 2, 3, 4

2    Writing Skills – Positive and negative language; Adverbs

Underline the correct words to complete the sentences with a ‘strong’ or a ‘weak’ adverb, following the instruction in brackets.

1   The chocolate cake was fairly / absolutely delicious. (strong)

2   Unfortunately, all the vegetables were rather / completely overcooked. (weak)

3   The food in that new restaurant was extremely / a bit boring. (weak)

4   I thought the portions were absolutely tiny / rather small . (weak)

5   That new café is extremely / fairly expensive. (strong)

6   I thought the tomato soup was rather / completely tasteless. (strong)

7   The staff in the hotel were reasonably / really friendly. (weak)

8   When we were there the service was quite / terribly slow. (strong)

2 rather   3 a bit   4 rather small   5 extremely

6 completely   7 reasonably   8 terribly

3    Writing

Write two reviews, one for each of the restaurants in the fact files below. One review should be mostly positive, the other mostly negative.

RESTAURANT FACT FILE

NAME:    Chez Pierre

LOCATION:    city centre

TYPE OF FOOD:    French e.g. meat (steak, lamb, etc.), fish / seafood, salads

QUALITY OF FOOD:

ATMOSPHERE:

TYPE OF CUSTOMER:    businessmen and women, romantic couples

SERVICE/ATTITUDE OF WAITERS:

PRICE:    ££££

VALUE FOR MONEY:

WHEN BUSY:    Weekday lunchtimes, weekends

NAME:    Villa Borghese

LOCATION:    at the beach

TYPE OF FOOD:    Italian e.g. pizzas, pasta risotto, fish, meat, ice cream

TYPE OF CUSTOMER:    families and groups of young people

PRICE:    £

WHEN BUSY:    every evening

Suggested answer

Last Saturday I took my girlfriend to Chez Pierre for her birthday. It’s a new French restaurant in the city centre. The atmosphere was really relaxing and although there was classical and French music it wasn’t very loud so it was easy to talk. The waiters were extremely friendly and the service was good. Our fish was absolutely delicious and the salad was very fresh and tasty. For dessert I had a lovely apple tart with cream and Anna had ice cream. All the portions were extremely generous and although the meal was rather expensive I would definitely recommend going there for a special occasion.

A friend of mine recommended the Villa Borghese restaurant to us. It’s an Italian restaurant just by the beach and they serve mostly Italian food such as pizzas and pasta. Unfortunately, it was a bit disappointing. The restaurant was extremely noisy because there were lots of young children and loud pop music so it was rather difficult to talk. Because of this, the atmosphere wasn’t very relaxing. We went on a Friday evening and the restaurant was completely full but there weren’t enough waiters. The service was awful – we were there for nearly an hour before anyone took our order. We ordered pasta but it was rather overcooked and the sauce wasn’t very tasty. Our meal was fairly cheap but the food wasn’t very good so I definitely wouldn’t go there again.

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More From Forbes

Does anonymity matter when a restaurant critic goes out to dine.

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A chef approves of his own cooking, circa 1935. (Photo by FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The simple answer to the question above is, it shouldn’t though it may. It shouldn’t for the simple reason that, while a restaurateur might bend over backwards to please the critic if recognized, it does not change the ingredients or most dishes on a chef’s menu where everything has been made long in advance, like a roast, stew, sauce, pâté, soup or dessert. Can a cook on the line who has made, say, a sautéed filet of sole with lemon butter a thousand times really make it so much better for this one person on one night?

By the same token, I know of one chef who, expecting an important critic to show up some time soon, kept four scallops aside he deemed the best of the lot, every night. Which is neurotically fretful for a chef who prides himself on buying the very best ingredients in the market. Good kitchens don’t have bad ingredients lying around.

Beyonce Knowles during Beyonce Visits MTV's "TRL" - September 5, 2006 at MTV Studios - Times Square ... [+] in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic)

Most of the time, as I’ve learned from cooks on the line, that the chef may say, “Table 12, don’t screw it up,” or, more probably, say nothing at all so as to not make them nervous. The same goes for when celebrities show up. One cook received a plate of risotto back on which the word “WOW!” was written in the remaining sauce. It was from Beyoncé, but he was never told she was in the dining room.

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Today’s new moon sets up a ‘supermoon eclipse’ and a ‘ring of fire’, new gmail app access password deadline—you have 4 weeks to comply.

I have no numbers for how many U.S. critics do or do not go to a restaurant anonymously, but I know a great many who don’t or are so well known to every restaurateur in town that’s it’s a farce to pretend otherwise. For years my photo among other New York-based critics was posted on the refrigerator in a wide range of restaurants.

NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 2: The Michelin Man attends the release of the hotly anticipated Michelin Guide ... [+] to New York City at the Guggenheim Museum on November 2, 2005 in New York, NY. (Photo by Scott Wintrow/Getty Images For Michelin)

The idea that critics should go anonymously was originally fostered by the Michelin Guides , whose “inspectors” go under an assumed name. One problem among many is that most of the time that reviewer went alone, ate one meal and then gave his or her report based on that single meal (although if a restaurant was under consideration for one, two or three stars, it would be visited several times). So, in most cases, if the inspector didn’t much care for the chicken, the restaurant was judged on that meal alone.

In Europe, anonymity is sniffed at: Critics for Michelin’ s competitor, Gault&Millau , do not go anonymously; neither do those of the London Times.

I couldn't sleep at nights because of the power of that job,?ô says Craig Claiborne, the urbane ... [+] food editor of the New York Times for the past 30 years. August 19, 1987. (Photo by Thomas/Fairfax Media via Getty Images).

In the U.S. restaurant critics were a rarity until the 1960s, and when the New York Times hired Craig Claiborne, a former food publicist, on 1957 to review restaurants, he’d go anonymously once (later twice) and write 100 words about his experience. He contended he had a very undistinguished face many did not recognize, though he was well known within the New York food world. He was especially well known to the French restaurant community.

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 17: Chef Alain Sailhac (L) and Mimi Sheraton attend The 8th Annual New York ... [+] Culinary Experience Presented By New York Magazine And The International Culinary Center. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for the New York Culinary Experience )

His successor, Mimi Sheraton, was, however, manic disguising herself, despite being a short, obese woman (she said her weight “empowered” her though she lost pounds after retiring) who’d show up wearing a Mumu and a wig. Restaurateurs knew exactly who she was almost every time she showed up. Her successor, Bryan Miller, had no use for disguises except once when he grew a beard after a restaurateur he had rated poorly refused entry. His successor, Ruth Reichl, wore all sorts of disguises—even posing as her own mother—and I recall being in a restaurant and having the owner say to me, “See who’s sitting over there in the corner tonight wearing a blonde wig?” None of her successors, all male, have donned disguises.

NEW YORK CITY, NY - APRIL 22: Gael Greene attends SONY PICTURES CLASSICS Presents the New York ... [+] Premiere of "WHATEVER WORKS" at Ziegfeld Theatre on April 22, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by JIMI CELESTE/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Meanwhile Gael Greene “The Sensual Gourmet” of New York magazine always swept into restaurants wearing a spangled sea captain’s hat and quite candidly said she slept with at least one illustrious chef who was under review. San Francisco critic Patricia Untermeyer actually owned a restaurant in town and knew all the chefs, including many she reviewed.

I have rarely pretended to anonymity for the reasons already cited but also because I very much want to consult with the chef about his cooking, his training, his focus and philosophy of cooking, all details that better inform the reader about the entire experience and what distinguishes the restaurant from another.

I see no point in merely going incognito and (as Michelin contends) do nothing but comment on the food consumed, without reference to all else that makes a restaurant different. Many restaurants, after all—French bistros, Italian trattorias, Japanese sushi bars, steakhouses—serve very similar menus, so to report that the French fries were not crisp or one pasta dish not al dente is of no real import, and to complain about a single less-than-ideal waiter on one particular night is to suggest that all the wait staff is incompetent. Indeed, there was a restaurant critic some years back who complained that a sea bass was overcooked one evening, and that same sea bass showed up for years afterwards in his annual round-up.

This also begs the question of how many times a reviewer should go to give a broad and deep assessment. More and more newspapers and magazines have completely dropped their restaurant reviewers and those that who still exist have been forced to cut way back on expenses. Even thirty years ago I was always being asked by editors, “Do you have to order wine? You know what it tastes like?” When I wrote Esquire ’s annual “Best New Restaurants in America” my expenses for that one article could be upwards of $20,000, but was later cut to the point of being useless to cover so much territory.

Only the very biggest newspapers can afford to have its critics go to a restaurant several times—two to three is about average. The New York Times makes lots of money and still readily okays expenses in excess of $150,000 each year. Tom Sietsema of The Washington Post still seems free to visit as often as he deems necessary, even though the Post lost $77 million last year. Many newspapers now have “food reporters” instead of critics, who interview a chef on premises and taste a dish or two. The British papers allow a reviewer to go once, with one other person, then write 1,000 words about the people, the décor, the neighborhood, etc., and a few words about two apps, two mains and, maybe, one dessert.

So it’s not so much a question of being on a slippery slope as to realize that different media go by different guidelines, and anonymity, in and of itself, sounds like a reasonable idea but in reality is largely untenable.

No other form of criticism demands a critic be anonymous or make multiple visits to a show or opera (Movies don’t change from night to night.) The assumption that an orchestra might play better or a ballerina will dance differently or a Broadway star change her act when a critic is in the third row says more about the pretensions of the critic than the artists.

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• Destination Guides

The 8 Best Restaurants in Moscow

From the traditional to the modern, fine dining destinations in Moscow celebrate the best that Russian cuisine has to offer.

By Elite Traveler

With many of the best restaurants in Moscow also doubling as bars and clubs, the atmosphere is nearly always one step away from a party, and many of the city’s elite come dressed to impress. Of course, there are still many elegant and family friendly restaurants for those who prefer a quieter evening. With such a large selection available, Elite Traveler has compiled a suitable list for diners of all persuasions.

Café Pushkin

Designed to recreate the feel of a 19th century aristocrat’s house, Café Pushkin has become one of the most popular restaurants in Moscow, thanks to the quality of its food, impeccable service and the excellent vodka selection. The atmosphere of pre-Revolution Russia is delightfully charming, from the flowery script of the menu to aristocratic country house décor. Pushkin is the ideal destination if you want to be treated like Russian nobility and dine like a Tsar – but book ahead, the restaurant’s popularity requires reservation well in advance.

cafe-pushkin.ru

Lavishly decked out with chandeliers and hand-painted furniture, the menu selection may come as a surprise to first-time guests, with options ranging from Pi Pa duck with melon and truffle to beefsteak with foie gras. Turandot puts a French spin on pan-Asian cuisine, and does so with incredible style and boldness. Whilst the interior décor is certainly to be marvelled at, it is the thoughtfully conceptualized and perfectly executed menu options that make for an incredible dining experience.

turandot-palace.ru

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Azerbaijan, dubai and beyond: fairmont expands luxury portfolio, fairmont to expand to moscow.

When the Ginza Project, a company that owns some of the finest restaurants in Moscow, announced that they would be opening a restaurant on the 29th floor of Radisson Royal Hotel, the excitement and anticipation was palpable.

The company has a reputation for the high quality of its restaurants that grace the streets of the capital, and Buono is no exception. The views from Buono are unashamedly spectacular, while the décor is elegant, with soft creams complementing the fine views on offer. The food is classical Italian; Chef William Lamberti is well known throughout Europe and has created an excellent menu. It’s always best to book ahead at Buono, as the window seats that offer the finest views over the city are quickly taken.

buonomoscow.ru

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Italian for ‘small’, Piccolino is a cozy, homely restaurant – something of a rarity in Moscow.

Serving typical Italian food, the family friendly establishment is laid back, but this doesn’t compromise the quality of the food: good, hearty portions that are exceptionally tasty. The interior of Piccolino has been designed to replicate that of a large country house, and the décor is entirely fitting with the atmosphere of the restaurant. In a city where many of the establishments value the names of their guests over the quality of their dishes, Piccolino is the place to come if your preference is quality of food rather than famous faces.

Twin Gardens

With two tasting menus and an à la carte option, the Twin Gardens at the heart of Moscow caters to any palette. With the restaurant concept based on the symbiosis of science and nature, their Vegetables set menu explores all manner of produce from seedling to peeling, delicately plated in a tasteful homage to the natural life cycle of wild plants and flowers. For more adventurous types, their Rediscover Russia menu offers a culinary tour of various local specialties found in provinces across the vast continent. They also have a wide selection of Russian wines.

twinsgarden.ru

Located in an elegant 19th century mansion, CDL is one of the most sophisticated restaurants in Moscow.

The interior has been gorgeously designed to recreate the grandeur of the Silver Age of Russian culture, with antique balustrades and bas-reliefs throughout the Oak Hall main room. The staircase in the Oak Hall is a particular masterpiece; it was built without a single nail or screw. The fireplace is equally impressive and has been used as a meeting room by President Dmitry Medvedev. Guests can also hire additional rooms such as the Cigar Room and the Cabinet Room. A menu of authentic Russian cuisine has been created by top chef Alexander Popov, with organic dishes bursting with flavor and a splendor to match the opulent surroundings. With so much luxury and class on display, it’s little wonder that former US Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush have chosen to dine here. Situated in the center of the city between Bolshaya Nikitskaya 53 and Povarskaya Ulitsa 50, it’s worth booking ahead to avoid disappointment.

White Rabbit

With a domed window inviting soaring views of the Moscow cityscape, White Rabbit has recently undergone extensive renovations, to both its interior and its menu. Renowned architect Natalia Belonogova has transformed the restaurant into an airy, modern space, perfected by the addition of a summer veranda. To connect the dining options with the new interior, head chef Vladimir Mukhin has created a new menu, Metamorphoses, to reflect the lifecycle of the mayfly butterfly.

Delight your palette with scallop, strawberries and blackcurrant or, for dessert, dandelion honey with melted cottage cheese. This summerlike and refreshing menu has its roots in Russian soil and its head in the clouds above Moscow’s skyline.

whiterabbitmoscow.ru

One of the best places to see and be seen, the O2 Lounge is half stylish seafood restaurant and half trendy pre-club hangout.

The food on offer is delicious Japanese fare, with sumptuous sushi prepared in front of diners by the team of talented chefs led by Nicholas Courtois. Located on the 12th floor of the Ritz-Carlton hotel, the restaurant has spectacular panoramic views over Red Square and The Kremlin. After dark the restaurant becomes one of the coolest bars in town, with award-winning cocktails and a selective wine list.

o2loungerestaurant.com

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• Yale Center for Customer Insights

The New Food Critic: AI-Generated Restaurant Reviews Fool the Best of Us

The popularity of generative AI platforms has made it easy to brew fake reviews. The problem is that customers can’t spot differences between the real and fake ones. 

If online reviews are your guide to the hottest restaurant in your town, here is some food for thought. A new study suggests that it is nearly impossible for people to distinguish between human, customer-written reviews and those doctored by generative AI tools.

Balázs Kovács, a professor of organizational behavior at Yale School of Management and the study's author, has followed the evolution of online restaurant reviews since 2004, when Yelp entered the market.  

Back in the day, he says, most of the published reviews were written by humans with the authentic dining experience. However, generative AI platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT can cook up long reviews based on just a few human prompts. “And these tools are sophisticated and sound almost human-like.”

Kovács says that such platforms make it fairly easy for restaurants to generate fake reviews to bolster their ratings and for customers to write reviews without an actual dining experience. These reviews can then be posted on popular sites, which currently have few tools to vet them for authenticity.

However, the question that boggled him was: Can customers who turn to online reviews be fooled into believing that humans wrote AI-generated reviews?

“For long texts, which are about 20 pages long, it is easy to spot what is AI-generated from what is human-written. For short text, it isn’t. But online restaurant reviews fall in the mid-length range, another reason that made the research interesting,” he says.

To look for answers, Kovács turned to Yelp. He shortlisted nearly 100 reviews of restaurants across the USA posted site from the year 2019.  Kovács guesses that since 2019 predated the popularity of generative AI platforms, most reviews posted must have been written by actual customers who had real dining experiences.  

Next, he fed the reviews to GPT-4 and got AI versions of the reviews about the same length as the real ones. The AI reviews also included human-like elements such as quirks, typos, and all-caps for emphasis. Kovács refers to the AI versions as ‘fake reviews.’ “I call them fake because the AI tool didn’t go to the restaurant and try a chocolate cake or a beer,” he adds.

He then recruited a panel of online participants, each of whom was randomly shown 20 reviews—either real or fake. Kovács asked them to identify which were written by humans and by AI. As an incentive, he promised the participants a bonus if they could correctly classify 16 of the 20 reviews. Of the 151 participants, only 6 received the extra payment, indicating that most couldn’t spot the differences.

However, the study noted that the younger age group participants fared slightly better in identifying the fake ones, perhaps due to their better familiarity with generative AI platforms.

Subsequently, Kovács conducted another study to check whether AI detector platforms like CopyLeaks can identify AI-generated restaurant reviews. AI detection platforms are websites where users can post any content on these platforms, based on which it can inform if the text is human-written or AI-generated. However, Kovács found that none of these platforms could spot the differences.

He notes that GPT-4 can create text that often deceives detectors, especially when instructed to include intentional typos and colloquialisms.   “This is one more piece of evidence that AI is becoming good at generating human-like text. People can’t tell the difference between real and fake text,” Kovács says.

Traditionally, people relied on word-of-mouth publicity or dedicated food critics to make decisions. However, the popularity of online platforms such as Yelp completely changed how people scout for recommendations, Kovács says. A BrightLocal survey shows that 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, and 79% consider them trustworthy as personal recommendations.

The results also ring alarm bells for online restaurant review applications where the reviews are posted. A fake review can damage the application's reputation and legitimacy, and soon, readers may lose trust in such platforms, Kovács says.

However, he believes that the most significant implications of the new findings are for consumers who believe in the authenticity of these reviews and make their decisions based on them. Kovács notes that this pervasive problem of fake reviews isn’t only pertinent to the restaurant industry; it extends to most decisions for which people turn to the online world for recommendations, whether it’s consumers buying their next vacuum cleaner or citizens electing a new president. “If the problem of fake content isn’t taken care of, nobody is going to know what to believe anymore,” Kovács concludes.  To work with us and discover more pioneering insights with our distinguished faculty, reach out to us via email or subscribe to our newsletter for updates on  LinkedIn  or  email .

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Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Additional reporting by Reuters in Moscow; Editing by Alison Williams

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Based in Copenhagen, Jacob oversees reporting from Denmark, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Specializes in security and geopolitics in the Arctic and Baltic Sea regions, as well as large corporates such as brewer Carlsberg and shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk. His most impactful reporting on Arctic issues include a report on how NATO allies are slowly waking up to Russian supremacy in the region, uncovering how Greenland represents a security black hole for Denmark and its allies, and how an abundance of critical minerals has proven a curse for Greenland. Before moving to Copenhagen in 2016, Jacob spent seven years in Moscow covering Russia's oil and gas industry for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal, followed by four years in Singapore covering energy markets for WSJ and Reuters. As a Russian speaker, he has been involved in covering the war in Ukraine. He publishes a newsletter each weekday focused on the most important regional and global news. Contact Jacob via email if you are interested in receiving the newsletter.

Grenfell Tower report to detail what led to deadly 2017 London blaze

A public inquiry into a fire at the Grenfell Tower apartments in London that killed 72 people seven years ago will issue a report on Wednesday with survivors and families hoping it spells out who was to blame.

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A Good Appetite

All Hail Farro, Queen of the Make-Ahead Salad

This colorful grain salad is laced with juicy stone fruit and milky burrata cheese.

By Melissa Clark

Melissa Clark contributed one of the first farro salads to New York Times Cooking in 2013. She’s been perfecting them every since.

Of all the grains you can use for salads, farro is the absolute queen. It is elegant, chewy and inherently complex, and that’s before you add any seasonings. It’s also simple and quick to cook, needing about 20 minutes, and the nubby grains stay separate rather than clumping like barley or couscous.

There was a time when farro was a seldom seen in North America, a rarity found mostly in gourmet shops and specialty Italian markets, but now it can be found in supermarkets rubbing shoulders with the quinoa and bulgur, and not a bit less regal for it.

All of this means that you can stop reserving your farro salads for parties, and put them into regular rotation. Healthful, hearty and ripe for variation, the farro salad is ready for weeknight prime time.

Recipe: Herby Farro Salad With Stone Fruit and Burrata

In this simple recipe, a colorful jumble of sliced stone fruit and herbs makes for an especially jubilant presentation. You can use any stone fruit you have, pristine or not; all of those wilting, weeping, less-than-perfect specimens are magnanimously invited to join the bowl.

Actually, let’s face it, the softer and gushier the better, because that tangy fruit nectar gives the dressing a sweet-tart depth. To bring out the most juice, the fruit is briefly marinated in lemon juice, salt and a pinch of sugar, which you can do while the farro cooks.

Then dress the grains immediately after draining so the warm farro can absorb as much flavor as possible, and fold in the fruit along with a handful of herbs for freshness and zip. Once assembled, the salad can sit for hours with no ill effects, making it perfect for picnics, potlucks or lunch at your desk the next day.

There is one more element that I sometimes like to add to this salad, which raises it from a side dish to a light summer meal. In the center of the farro, almost like an egg in a nest, I place a milky ball of burrata drizzled with more of the stone fruit juice, some good olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky salt. The burrata adds richness to the mix, and provides a mellow contrast to the lemony fruit. But in the end, a stately farro salad doesn’t really need that — or anything extra — to shine and to reign.

Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram , Facebook , YouTube , TikTok and Pinterest . Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice .

Melissa Clark has been writing her column, A Good Appetite , for The Times’s Food section since 2007. She creates recipes for New York Times Cooking, makes videos and reports on food trends. She is the author of 45 cookbooks, and counting. More about Melissa Clark