The Search for Authenticity

How do you tell the good, authentic local restaurants from the tourist traps? It’s not always easy, but there are some guidelines that will help.

Obviously, be wary of anywhere you’re taken to in a bus. There are certain, very limited, exceptions: (a) shabby purveyors of great street food that you’d probably never find on your own, like the Lunch Lady in Saigon, or (b) oases of edibility in places where 90% of the local food is horrible.

But most of the time you’re taken there because the restaurant gives kickbacks to the tour company. No self-respecting upscale restaurant is going to accept his kind of business. They don’t want it, they don’t need it, and their regular customers would be appalled.

Themed décor is never a good sign: whether it’s fishnets, castanets or horse brasses, be wary. The locals already know whether they’re in Spain or Suffolk, and don’t need to be reminded. (Chinese restaurants outside of China are often an exception: the food may be sensational in a setting that’s an explosion of red and gold.)

The English-language menu with photos is a major worry. And be very afraid if it includes “international” options from far, far away: chop suey in Seville, lasagne in Hong Kong.

Tadich Grill, San Francisco

Also, you risk disappointment at any restaurant featured in a book or movie. Remember, you didn’t “discover” it  —  it stopped being That Place after the first thousand tourists waddled through the door looking for the table where Ernest Hemingway used to sit. And the locals probably stopped going before The Maltese Falcon was in its second printing.

In places like these you may be welcomed with fawning friendliness or complete indifference.   It doesn’t matter which; either way, they’ll assume they can safely serve you any old muck because you’re an uncultured foreigner who doesn’t understand the country or the food, and because they know you won’t be coming back.

But let’s say you’re looking for a serious traditional restaurant: nothing trendy or cutting-edge, just a fine old establishment that’s been serving the same authentic food for generations, or even centuries. Where to start?

Cafe di Stasio, Melbourne

Location isn’t much of a clue: you can find wonderful restaurants in shopping centres or five-star hotels, next to motorways, and tucked away in back streets. Whether the tables are covered in plastic or starched white linen, there are some things most of these places will have in common.

You may not be made particularly welcome. You’re a foreigner. It’s fair to assume you’re a barbarian until proven otherwise. They will, however, be perfectly professional, and treat you pretty much the same as they treat anybody else. Which means that if they’re rude, it’s just because they’re rude to everybody. (Some restaurants  —  indeed, some countries  — are famous for it.)

And if they sense that you appreciate what you’re eating, there’ll be a noticeable thaw.

Mirasol de la Recova, Buenos Aires

They don’t much care whether you like their restaurant, because you’re not their target customer. Their success is built on repeat business from local people who have been eating there for years, possibly generations. Those people know and like what the restaurant does…which is why it goes on doing the same thing for 30 years, or 300.

You, on the other hand, will probably be on a plane tomorrow and they’ll never see you again. Your opinion is irrelevant. Because they’re professionals, they’ll be pleased if you like their food  —  but they won’t be worried if you don’t, and they won’t compromise.

Their standards don’t vary. Your meal will be just as good as everybody else’s; they won’t dumb it down for you regardless of whether they think you’ll like or understand the food.

When you’ve successfully found one of these places, you’ll almost certainly have a memorable meal. I’m not saying you’ll be the only tourist there…but you  won’t be surrounded by savages either. In return, you should observe some basic courtesies.

1. Dress appropriately.
You wouldn’t wear cargo pants and a ripped T-shirt to the finest restaurants in your own capital city. So why would you think it’s OK in someone else’s?

2. Show respect.
Bear in mind that in many countries, waiters are professionals  —  not out-of-work actors or high-school dropouts living on tips. Understanding the food and drink and looking after their customers is their real job, and they do it well. So ask their advice, show appreciation, say thank you, and tip decently if it’s the custom of the country.

Don’t bully or condescend; the only one who’ll look foolish is you.

3. Do some homework.

Sanjuanino, Buenos Aires

Take the trouble to learn something about the local cuisine ahead of time. In an authentic restaurant, even an upmarket one, you may have trouble finding a waiter who speaks English (they’re not catering to the tourist trade, remember?) but at least you’ll be able to recognise some of the words on the menu.

If language fails, check out what other people are having. If it looks delicious, smile and point. Or draw a picture, and put your faith in the quality of the establishment.

(Many years ago the Constant Companion, in a remote region of China, resorted to drawing a pig, a fish and a chicken on a paper napkin. The meal was fantastic.)

4. Don’t expect the impossible.
If you’re a vegetarian, don’t go to Argentina. If you hate fish, you might want to avoid Japan. If you can’t stand chili, reconsider your Sri Lanka trip. If you require kosher food, a safari camp in the Okavango Delta isn’t a sensible choice.

(We knew a family of four who all had many, and different, dietary restrictions. There was at least one of them who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, eat dairy, vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes, eggs, fish, meat or chili. They decided to go to India on holiday. We wondered what they were thinking…)

So, good hunting. But first, be sure authenticity is what you’re really after. Give yourself a break: there are times when even the most experienced traveller just needs comfort food  —   a sandwich, a burger, a bowl of soup. And frankly, there are  places where the local food is just plain awful.

The Authenticity All-Stars. A few of my personal favourites: in Buenos Aires, El Establo, Sanjuanino, Mirasol; in San Francisco, Tadich Grill; in Madrid, Casa Paco; in Melbourne, Cafe di Stasio. I’d love to have your nominations.