Why you can’t always trust restaurant reviews in London … or anywhere, really

I travel to 20+ countries a year sharing my firsthand knowledge of reward travel, travel credit card deals, travel tips and more.

I just wrote a post about the announcement of the James Beard Foundation’s 2025 winners for the America’s Classics Awards. I wanted to share this because many travelers prefer eating at the best restaurant in town, or at least one that serves solid local food, and you can trust the James Beard Foundation’s recommendations.

What you can’t always trust, though, are online reviews from food apps, as they can be easily manipulated. Case in point, CBS News ran a story a few months ago about how Londoners are trying to keep tourists out of their favorite restaurants by leaving glowing fake reviews for average spots.

One of the chain restaurants, Angus Steakhouse, which has been compared to Applebee’s, saw a huge uptick in visitors thanks to locals (fake) leaving glowing reviews. Some of the reviews included: “This is the greatest steakhouse ever,” “Freddie Mercury ate there,” and “Taylor Swift ate there.”

One person even wrote: “I’ve been a vegetarian for 15 years, but I can’t resist an Angus Steakhouse steak sandwich. I just hope the tourists don’t find out about it.”

You’ve got to love the British sense of humor. As one of the morning co-hosts said, “They’re playing a joke on us people—don’t fall for it!” Angus Steakhouse is now listed as a top 10 steakhouse in London.

Why are Londoners doing this, you ask? It’s because they’re upset that tourists are flocking to their favorite restaurants and sandwich shops, and now they can’t get in or have to wait too long for a table.

What’s even funnier is that CBS posted their morning show segment on Instagram (embedded below), and Londoners even took to the comment section with some hilarious gems. See below.

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A post shared by CBS Mornings (@cbsmornings)

@scmcg: I found a lovely little Italian restaurant in London. It’s called Pizza Express. Very traditional family business. So authentic! 💕

@mrizzuti: There is a hidden treasure called Greggs, come and try their Michelin star sausage rolls.

@Lfstorey: I’ll give a shout out to Pret A Manger… wonderful London-based patisserie set up by the Scarlet Pimpernel as he was helping French aristos escape the revolution in France. Definitely worth a visit.

@tom_cullen: Whatever you do, don’t miss the gastro-pub experience Wetherspoons. The best food and great beer in the UK

@edias85: Don’t forget Costa, independent baristas. Hidden gem.

So how do you find authentic places when you travel? Here are a few ways:

Ask locals
Ask locals, especially friends and family who live there or have just returned. I’ll sometimes ask my friends on social media too.
Look for places with long lines of locals, not tourists
For example, when I’m in an airport, I look for the food outlet with the longest line of pilots and flight attendants because you know the food is going to be good and affordable. The same goes for when I’m at food stands in Asia, especially Singapore. I always head to the hawker stand with the longest line because the locals know which is food is fresh and delicious.
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, ask a doorman or bellhop
Instead of asking the concierge for recommendations (they often get kickbacks), ask a doorman or bellhop for their favorite place to eat.
Check the menu
If you’re in a non-English-speaking country, don’t go to a restaurant with a menu translated into every language. Instead, use a translating app like Google Translate.