I’ve just come back from several months overseas doing research for my Luxury Escapes tours, and just hanging out. I’ve been to Istanbul, Rome, Dubrovnik and Madrid as well as London, Siem Reap and Portugal, which are all massive tourist destinations. As someone who has been to all those places a lot over the past 20 years, I’ve seen massive changes. Airbnb and cheap flights have really crushed them and they’ve become heavily touristed. And in some cases, finding a local is almost impossible over the weekends, as they all flee from the influx of short-term visitors. This makes the ‘eat at a place full of locals’ a harder foundational rule to follow when in a big tourist destination.

Related story: 10 of the best destinations in Asia for eating and drinking in 2026

What makes a restaurant a tourist trap

Instead, when it comes to places I’m going to avoid, the telltale signs are anywhere with that coloured board outside with the pictures and names of the dish, and anywhere with a bloke or a woman spruiking to get you in. They’re two definite ‘I’m not going there’ signs. Similarly, one of those carved cartoon wooden chefs with a jaunty smile and a large white chef’s hat. These are invariably a warning. Professionally printed plastic cards advertising wine deals, and cheap supermarket salt and pepper grinders on the tables can be warnings, too.

Other signs that ping my ‘doorstep radar’ are cheap tubular metal chairs, QR code ordering, and any of those potential signs of desperation like “under new management” painted on the window or the promise of “live music on Friday or Saturday night” when they ought to be full. An overly long menu and caffè lattes served in tall glasses with handles are other ‘tells’ that seldom lead me astray. Avoid!

The best way to find authentic local food

I do still like to see a queue speaking the local language, but this can mean heading out into the suburbs rather that eating in the more famous areas near the sights. The food is usually better where the tourists aren’t! Smaller Italian or Spanish cities can be an exception to this rule.

The number one rule, however, is look at good, responsible sources for advice. Whether it’s friends who’ve lived there recently, or have been there recently, or good websites that take their food seriously – and not just for the posh places. I use the Michelin online guide, because they’ve got some really good street-food places. In Vietnam, for example, it’s a great starting point.

If it’s a city I don’t know, I’ll make a food tour a priority, as the guides are usually a great source of places to go if you ask for specifics (ie, family-run, street food, hole-in-the-wall, cosy local bistro). This advice can set up the dining for your whole visit. Also doing a little research on the must-eat dishes in a city or region helps.

Another tip is to find out where the staff member waiting on you at a restaurant goes with their family or friends. That will invariably be a good place, even if it’s a little out of the way. Recently, in Istanbul, I went to all the fancy restaurants and they were delicious, but then I went to a kebab place north of Taksim Square that was unbelievable. Who would have thought that a kebab could be so heavenly? And at a tenth of the price!

Related story: Heading to Bali? We’ve found 18 of the best restaurants in Uluwatu