Look, there’s nothing wrong with eating at a touristy spot. Maybe it’s packed because they actually have good food, or it’s easy because they’re accessible and have waiters that speak English. But if you’re looking for a truly local place, it’s usually hard to tell them apart.

Since one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the local culture is through food, why not try out where the locals dine? Here are some tips on finding great places where locals eat that tend to be cheaper and more authentic:

1. Do your research online - but not in the way you think

Sure, browse through all the travel websites for restaurant recommendations but they’re usually written by other tourists and it’s not a guarantee that the place is truly local. You should also check out food blogs, especially ones written by locals from that city. But instead of just going through what they recommend, check out the comments section. I think Anthony Bourdain said one of the easiest way to do this is by mentioning ‘okay’ place to eat in the comments (if someone else hasn’t done so already), and usually the foodies and locals would start replying this comment with gasps… and also more recommendations on where to eat. You might have started a foodie debate, but now you have a list of places to check out.

2. Use Your Network and know whose advice to follow

After doing No. 2, I’d bring this list to a friend from that city to see if they are worth going. Food is important to every culture, and they would usually end up taking your phone to type a really long list of eateries to go to. If you don’t have a local friend and didn’t come across a traveler from this city before, then ask around! I wouldn’t usually ask the receptionist or concierge at the hotel because they’d give tourist friendly places. I’d usually ask cleaners or folks at the cafe or bar for where they usually eat and what to get, because they tend to be cheaper and more authentic.

3. Know the cues that it’s a touristy place

These are the easiest tells:

• They’re located in areas with high tourist footfall

• They highly advertise. Picture banners and signs everywhere

• There’s waiters outside the restaurant inviting you to come in

• The waiters speak English (if you're in a country where English is not the mother tongue)

• The menu has a LOT of options, comes with pictures of the dishes, is written in the local language plus English or even German, French, and Japanese (depending on which country you’re in). If there’s suddenly a hotdog in what’s supposed to be an ‘authentic Italian bistro’, it’s not the real deal

• It’s usually a bit overpriced

• They serve food with ingredients that are not in-season, which means their ingredients aren’t fresh

4. Follow your senses

Go to streets a bit further away and follow the meal times of locals. For example, Latin countries and countries in Southern Europe have their meals pretty late (some places at about 9 PM for dinner) and those up North have it earlier (sometimes about 5 PM for dinner). Find where there’s a long queue or a crowd of people that look local. Listen in to their conversations and check if they speak the local language, and they usually know right away what they want to order. When you order, just follow whatever the guy before you ordered. Good local eateries aren’t necessarily big restaurants, but could be a tiny takeaway only joint. 

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if where you’re eating is touristy or super local. As long as what you’re eating is heavenly, dig in!