Everyone wants to be the first through the door when a buzzy new restaurant opens. A great sign is that the restaurant is still heaving a year later.

‘Just like Nonna used to make.’ If someone’s grandparent is in the kitchen, you absolutely know you’re in for a delicious time and the secret ingredient is love. The kitchen is also probably run like a well-oiled machine.

If a restaurant is busy enough to hire a decent number of people to deal with the chaos, you’re probably in good hands. This has obviously been a rough spot the last couple of years but the pendulum is swinging back to talented, well-versed front of house staff running the show.

When your waiter lights up while giving recommendations, especially if they aren’t just the special or the most expensive dish or bottle of wine, that’s a huge green flag.

A great vote of confidence, if your city’s cab drivers are eating there, it’s probably going to be great. These folks drive all over and know where a good laksa becomes a great one.

Now check out our five red flags when dining out here.