GREECE NEVER Eat Bad FOOD on HOLIDAY Again – How I Choose A Place

GREECE NEVER Eat Bad FOOD on HOLIDAY Again – How I Choose A Place

Now here’s a thought. Have you ever been to Greece, eaten somewhere and let’s just say you wish you hadn’t. Maybe it was a tourist trap perhaps, awful food, overpriced or a combination of any of them. Well I’m going to share with you what I have actually done over the last 20 years to guarantee how to choose a great place to eat every single time. So let’s do it. First off, don’t necessarily choose the first place you see. And that’s because your smartphone, it’s your secret weapon here. So if you stood there, wondering whether or not to go in, get your phone out, open Google Maps and put the name of the place in. First thing you do is you look for a rating, 4 star or higher. This essentially is your gold standard and anything lower and I suppose you’re beginning to enter, eat at your own risk territory. But don’t just look at the number, don’t just rely on that. Read the reviews, look at the photos, not from the owner but from people who’ve actually been there. Look for recent comments as well. Have people mentioned specific dishes they loved? Are they going back again? Were they talking about how good the place was, the food was etc. Beware in places though with a ton of, let’s say generic one or two word reviews or a sudden massive influx of 5 star ratings. Because that’s a classic red flag for what they say is creative marketing or bot reviews. Second tip here, is it located in a prime tourist hotspot? Now we understand it’s not always, you know, while it’s not always a sign of a bad place to eat. If it’s right smack bang in the middle of a massive tourist area, street or even a square, then perhaps a flashing red light should go off above your head. You see these places often survive on their location, not the quality of their food. They know they’ll get almost a guaranteed constant stream of new people, new customers every single day walking by. So you could argue maybe there’s little incentive to make the food a little bit more memorable, a little bit better. Essentially they just need to get you in, get you fed and then chuck you out. Instead venture a few streets back, take a little detour because you’ll often find the place is better, it’s more relaxed, the service is better, the food is better and certainly even cheaper. And the chefs there, they are putting, shall we say, their heart and soul into the food because they depend on repeat business, word of mouth recommendations. Third tip I’m going to give you is a really good one and that is it’s almost always guaranteed a good sign if locals eat there. It’s essentially in my book, it’s, this is the ultimate non-negotiable golden rule. Do you see Greeks sitting down for a big lunch and dinner, having a great time? All the tables, full with locals chatting away, speaking the language and looking completely at ease because if so, you’re on the right tracks. Now here’s a really good one. Don’t let them coach you in. Menus have seen them there. You’ve got a member of staff of the cafe or the restaurant standing outside there with a menu and a smile trying to almost drag you into eat. And you’ll see them mainly in tourist hotspots and they’re usually only interested in one thing and that’s numbers, not quality. Remember the job is to get as many in, sit down to eat, chuck them out, get the next person in. You see, a great place to eat doesn’t necessarily need to try and drag you in to eat their food. Think about it this way. A restaurant that is consistently full of happy customers, they don’t have the spare staff to stand outside all day and try and drag people in. So when you see someone acting as what I call a human billboard, it’s, to me it’s a clear signal that perhaps the food inside maybe isn’t just good enough to bring people in on its own, shall we say. So if it happens, just politely say, sorry, no thank you and then keep on walking. Incidentally, I’ve actually got a video coming out in a couple of weeks all about how not to get ripped off in places to eat in Greece. So you may want to subscribe to be notified about that and others. So the next one, it’s what I call a multi-page menu. OK, that’s another tip. If a menu is as thick as a novel and looks like it was created back in the 90s, because most cases it’s the sort of menu that features every single type of food, every single type of nationality you can ever think of, all alongside their Musa Kaur or Suvlaki. That’s generally a sign that they’re trying to be everything to everyone and in the end, well, they’re not likely to be a master of anything really, are they? Likewise, if you see the menu, it’s laminated plastic pages, glossy, but really faded out of date photos of the food. It’s probably not worth going in there into the restaurant. Good, fresh food doesn’t need to be advertised with blurry, poorly lit pictures that look like nothing like the real thing. In fact, sometimes they look like they’ve been microwaved. So let’s move on to the next one, and that is take your time to read the menu outside the place, outside the restaurant on a lectern. And it’s another chip, and sorry, another chip, no pun intended. It’s another tip and your chance to do your research without any pressure. In most cases, a good restaurant will have its menu clearly displayed outside on a lectern if it can. And it’s a great opportunity to take your time and don’t be rushed. Take a look at the prices. Are they what you think are reasonable for the area? Look at the dishes. Do they sound interesting and authentic? Now, next one up is lack of traditional dishes or specials. You see, an authentic Greek restaurant should feature the latest things of the day, the classics. You should see things like a proper mousa car, a fresh pastizio, a delicious spanner copy of the day. These are dishes that tell you you’re in a place you really should eat. And even more importantly, look for the specials board. Most of the times they’re actually outside. And this is a really good sign that the kitchen is really working hard to find out what’s in season. Almost at the end now, this is a really, really good tip, and that is go with your gut. Now, after everything I’ve explained, all the rules, the tips and the checks, sometimes you just have to trust your instinct. You walk past a restaurant and you get this vibe. Maybe you see a table of people absolutely loving their food, having a great time. Or maybe even you catch an aroma, a smell of garlic and oregano wafting from the kitchen. It’s one of those intuitive senses that tells you, yeah, I think this is a place to go and eat. The atmosphere feels right. The sounds are inviting. The staff look really great and everything just clicks. So that gut feeling is often your best guide. So don’t be afraid to trust it. And for the last one here, I’m going to give you something that’s quite unusual. And that is don’t be afraid of what I call the kitchen tour. In Greece, this is, or it can be a really beautiful traditional part of the Greek dining experience. In some places, especially on the islands. Okay? A waiter may, for instance, offer to take you into the kitchen to show you what they’re doing that day, the fish or the day specials. It’s not like what I was saying before, whereby the staff member is trying to drag you and get you to eat. This is, it’s a genuine Greek tradition. So if it happens, don’t be shy. Say yes. Okay. As I said, it’s not a gimmick. It’s a sign of a proud restaurant, a proud place for it that wants to show you the quality of its ingredients. And when you go there, you’ll get to see all sorts of things. The catches of the day with the fish, the stews, the stafardo, it’s Greek for stew. All the fresh things waiting to be cooked. And it’s an amazing way, believe you me, to connect with your food and the people making it. You may even, as often I do, get to try a few things for free while you’re at it. Anyway, there you have it. That’s essentially all the things that I’ve been doing over the last 20 years or so that I followed and recommended. And essentially, I’ve never really had a bad thing to eat in a place. So hope you enjoyed the video. You may want to subscribe as I usually drop a couple of videos a week. And obviously, till the next one, thanks for watching. Bye.

Don’t get caught in a tourist trap. Ever had a holiday meal in Greece you wish you could forget? This video is your essential guide to finding the best places to eat every time you’re on the Greek islands or a city like Greece Rhodes. With over 25 years of experience, I explain exactly what I do to guarantee an authentic and delicious taverna or restaurant.

First, I’ll reveal why your smartphone is your best friend for finding amazing Greek food. Learn the golden rule of checking for a 4.0-star rating or higher on Google Maps and how to spot fake reviews and “creative marketing”.

Discover the simple strategy of venturing a few streets back from the main tourist hubs to find better service, lower prices, and truly passionate chefs.

Next, I’ll share the ultimate non-negotiable rule: follow the locals. I’ll explain why seeing locals eating at a spot is the surest sign of quality and authenticity. I’ll also teach you how to spot a “human billboard” and why you should politely say no and keep walking.

Finally, I’ll give you pro tips on menu red flags to avoid, like laminated, multi-page menus that promise everything but deliver nothing. Instead, look for authentic classics like moussaka and souvlaki, and a specials board that signals fresh, seasonal ingredients. I’ll also cover the traditional “kitchen tour,” a special part of the Greek dining experience that is a sign of a proud chef.

Stop wasting money on awful food and start eating like a local. This video is a must-watch for any tourist planning a trip to Greece.

*TIMECODES*
00:00 How to choose a great place to eat
00:24 Don’t always choose the first place
01:32 Are tourist hotspots worth eating at?
02:43 Eat where the locals do
03:14 Don’t be coaxed in by staff outside
04:33 Avoid ones with massive menus
05:05 Maybe avoid ones with plastic menus
05:30 Read the menu that’s outside
06:10 Lack of traditional dishes and specials
06:46 Do you go with your gut?
07:36 Say “yes” to a kitchen tour
08:47 Summary and closing

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*Greek Food VIdeos You Should Watch*
GREECE KEFALONIA We try the BEST and CHEAPEST Gyro and Souvlaki – https://youtu.be/SDe-IjX0no0

GREECE 5 UNUSUAL Greek Foods You HAVE to try when in Greece – https://youtu.be/2Ius3dv37L4