One of the best parts of traveling is discovering food that you could never find at home. The challenge is that many busy, photo friendly restaurants near major attractions tend to be overpriced and underwhelming. With a little curiosity and the right approach, travelers can uncover spots locals actually love.

Here is a simple guide to finding authentic meals without getting pulled into tourist traps.

Ask People Who Actually Live There

Hotel concierges often send travelers to polished, tourist friendly restaurants. Locals outside the hospitality industry usually give far more honest recommendations.

A quick question to a barista, market vendor, taxi driver, or shop owner can lead straight to neighborhood favorites. Keeping the conversation casual works well. A simple “Where do you like to eat around here?” often points to places with great food, fair prices, and local crowds.

Use Social Media as a Local Food Search Tool

Before the trip, browsing social media helps reveal real recommendations. Searching by city name paired with “eats” or “streetfood” can surface authentic restaurants and small vendors.

Look for posts from everyday diners rather than staged influencer photos. Long lines of locals or casual food stalls tend to signal quality. Platforms that show real time chatter also help show what dishes or spots locals are excited about.

Follow the Right Crowds

Busy restaurants are not automatically tourist traps, but checking who is in line makes a difference. If the crowd is mostly visitors snapping photos, the food may be secondary to the setting.

Lines filled with workers, students, or neighborhood families often point to reliable, crowd loved meals. Late night and early morning hours are especially helpful for spotting the places locals return to again and again.

Step Away From the Main Streets

Restaurants around major landmarks often cater to tourists with higher prices and less authentic menus. Walking just a few blocks into residential areas or side streets can lead to better food at lower cost.

Menus without translations or signs that look understated rather than polished often indicate spots serving locals first.

Trust the Sights, Sounds, and Smells

Sometimes intuition is the best guide. Aromas drifting from a street stall, the sound of food sizzling on a grill, or a line forming around a small doorway are reliable signals of a good meal.

Many of the most memorable dishes come from simple setups such as carts, counters, or tiny kitchens where everything is fresh and straightforward.

Finding the best food abroad rarely requires fancy tools. Curiosity, a little wandering, and a willingness to follow the local crowd can turn every meal into part of the adventure. Travelers who skip the tourist traps and seek out genuine flavors often enjoy better meals, lower prices, and far more memorable stories.

Talk soon,

Your Maestro Concierge

Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are only the author’s and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity.