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I've noticed when looking at "democratic" restaurant rankings, they tend to be dominated by places that cater to some common denominator. Cafes with latte art,

I've noticed when looking at "democratic" restaurant rankings, they tend to be dominated by places that cater to some common denominator. Cafes with latte art, dessert shops, drinking spots. Those are what win, even in rankings nominally about food. In many cities it becomes tricky to find an actual restaurant. The top ten spots might only contain one or two, plus everyone's favorite ice cream parlor.

L_Rahman 9y ago
For all the democratic aggregators, there seems to be a inflection point beyond which they stop being as useful. In their earliest days, the primary user base is made of enthusiasts. They bring opinions and experiences not available through mainstream critics but with an eye for quality. At some point, the places being reviewed realize how important the rankings are. They start building things specifically to improve their position on these rankings and you reach a trend-driven, inoffensive mid-market nothingness in the app and in the place itself. The answer to this problem has always been the same - find and follow a set of critics that you like - keep an eye out for popular food trends and apply a negative bias towards restaurants nakedly following it - start understanding the texture of neighborhoods and the chefs within them: if Alex Stupak opens a new place in Lower Manhattan for example, it would be an automatic stop for me.
- ido 9y ago
  If you're looking for a hidden gem in your home town that will provide something amazing, you may be disappointed. But when traveling and wanting to grab lunch, looking around rankings in google maps/yelp you know everything 4-5 stars will at least be decent, which is not useless information.
  - L_Rahman 9y ago
    You're entirely correct and I apologize for not acknowledging this in my original comment.
icebraining 9y ago
I know what you mean, but I think most sites have filters like "dinner".
- jzwinck 9y ago
  Yes. Here's one place that came up when I sorted by "Top Ranked" and filtered by "Dinner": https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restaurant_Review-g298285-d11711841-Reviews-Maraschino-Kota_Bharu_Kelantan.html https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restaurant_Review-g298285-d11... It even beat out the Night Market, which is the best in the state, if not the country. I think proprietors and/or customers are able to update their listings and select which meals are applicable. And obviously you'd want to select all of them, even if you are a coffee shop that sells one type of sandwich.
buckhx 9y ago
Not to huck our product too much, but next time you're in one of the cities we cover, try out https://theinfatuation.com/ https://theinfatuation.com/. We focus on highlighting great restaurants and not just ones that are good for an Instagram shot. Our writers show up announced and try a restaurant multiple times before giving it a rating.
- kharms 9y ago
  > Our writers show up announced Why?
  - JosephRedfern 9y ago
    Presumably to get a true sense of the quality of the restaurants food and service. If you book weeks in advance, they may prepare things differently (in a more costly/time consuming way) or have more staff on site, or make sure that the place is cleaner/tidier than it might normally be. On top of that, if they don't make it clear that they're reviewers then it'll be an even more authentic experience.
    - vorian 9y ago
      You explanation make sense if the OP said 'unannounced', but they said the reviewers show up announced. That makes it sound like the restaurants know they are coming, hence the 'why' question.
      - buckhx 9y ago
        My bad, that was a typo. They show up unannounced.
    - buckhx 9y ago
      Spot on. I had a typo in my original comment, but they do indeed show up unannounced for the reasons you stated.
      - 9y ago

L_Rahman 9y ago

For all the democratic aggregators, there seems to be a inflection point beyond which they stop being as useful. In their earliest days, the primary user base is made of enthusiasts. They bring opinions and experiences not available through mainstream critics but with an eye for quality. At some point, the places being reviewed realize how important the rankings are. They start building things specifically to improve their position on these rankings and you reach a trend-driven, inoffensive mid-market nothingness in the app and in the place itself. The answer to this problem has always been the same - find and follow a set of critics that you like - keep an eye out for popular food trends and apply a negative bias towards restaurants nakedly following it - start understanding the texture of neighborhoods and the chefs within them: if Alex Stupak opens a new place in Lower Manhattan for example, it would be an automatic stop for me.

ido 9y ago
If you're looking for a hidden gem in your home town that will provide something amazing, you may be disappointed. But when traveling and wanting to grab lunch, looking around rankings in google maps/yelp you know everything 4-5 stars will at least be decent, which is not useless information.
- L_Rahman 9y ago
  You're entirely correct and I apologize for not acknowledging this in my original comment.

icebraining 9y ago

I know what you mean, but I think most sites have filters like "dinner".

jzwinck 9y ago
Yes. Here's one place that came up when I sorted by "Top Ranked" and filtered by "Dinner": https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restaurant_Review-g298285-d11711841-Reviews-Maraschino-Kota_Bharu_Kelantan.html https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restaurant_Review-g298285-d11... It even beat out the Night Market, which is the best in the state, if not the country. I think proprietors and/or customers are able to update their listings and select which meals are applicable. And obviously you'd want to select all of them, even if you are a coffee shop that sells one type of sandwich.

buckhx 9y ago

Not to huck our product too much, but next time you're in one of the cities we cover, try out https://theinfatuation.com/ https://theinfatuation.com/. We focus on highlighting great restaurants and not just ones that are good for an Instagram shot. Our writers show up announced and try a restaurant multiple times before giving it a rating.

kharms 9y ago
> Our writers show up announced Why?
- JosephRedfern 9y ago
  Presumably to get a true sense of the quality of the restaurants food and service. If you book weeks in advance, they may prepare things differently (in a more costly/time consuming way) or have more staff on site, or make sure that the place is cleaner/tidier than it might normally be. On top of that, if they don't make it clear that they're reviewers then it'll be an even more authentic experience.
  - vorian 9y ago
    You explanation make sense if the OP said 'unannounced', but they said the reviewers show up announced. That makes it sound like the restaurants know they are coming, hence the 'why' question.
    - buckhx 9y ago
      My bad, that was a typo. They show up unannounced.
  - buckhx 9y ago
    Spot on. I had a typo in my original comment, but they do indeed show up unannounced for the reasons you stated.
    - 9y ago