How to choose a restaurant when you're travelling

Don't waste another meal at a tourist-trap restaurant. Here’s how to eat like an in-the-know local in an unfamiliar city

- NIKITA RICHARDSON

EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT priorities when it comes to travelling: Some people just want to relax. Others want to spend a few hours in a museum or fill up their suitcase in the shopping district. Some care most about eating, and eating well. Here are tips from well-travelled food writers on how to track down great dining options.

Ask the locals

While its easy to make a snap judgment on a restaurant based on Google or Tripadvisor reviews, locals know the dining scene best — especially the beloved haunts where the service is great, the drinks are cold and a table is easy to come by. Regan Stephens, a writer based in Philadelphia and a co-founder of the travel guide site Saltete, researches local experts before she hits the airport. She recommends restaurant critics, cookbook authors or food tour guides. If you're feeling particularly brave, you can even send an email or a direct message asking if they have a Google map or list that they share with friends and family — and more often than not the answer is yes, Stephens said.