Restaurant reviewers/blogs/sites, etc. Where do you go?

Dave_The_Sheep

Checked the stickied threads, and did a backsearch but couldn't find much. Also took a look at the forum listing, but couldn't see a better fit for this.

Used to go out a fair bit (not a lot but enough) mainly due to my parents when I was younger, and going around myself since then. My girlfriend and I used to have a thing where we'd try a new restaurant each month, and it couldn't be the same style as something we'd done recently, and I want to get back into it.

As such, I'm wondering where people go for reviews and the like. I avoid Tripadvisor, Yelp, Menupages etc. because reviews and ratings are so easily manipulated and there's so much dross and also the copy and paste 'top 10' sites like LovinDublin and it's ilk, so I suppose I'm asking - do any of ye have any particular reviewers or sites or blogs or whatever that you go to to keep an eye on good restaurants in Ireland (mainly Dublin, but I'm willing to travel - based in Kildare) ?

I keep an eye on the newspaper (Times, Independant) food columns online, but that's about it. Any suggestions?

Extra points for those that might have knowledge about less popular cuisine (example, maybe not a great one but Lebanese or Indonesian or something like that) just to shake it up a bit - mind you, I'm a solid French cookery fan but like something different every now and then.

The Hill Billy

The stickies give links to the following threads...

Cookery Book/Recipe Sites
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054978683

Food Blogs
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055578445

Faith

I tend to find quite a bit through Instagram these days. I follow a few chefs and foodie people in my city and see where they go and recommend. It’s a bit more informal than a proper review but usually works out fairly well.

I also use google reviews to check places out. I don’t know if they’re any more reliable than TripAdvisor etc, thoigh.

katekuchen

I tend to agree with what Aoife McElwain says in Totally Dublin so I keep an eye out for places she reviews that I've not heard of yet...

Dave_The_Sheep

The Hill Billy wrote: »

The stickies give links to the following threads...

Cookery Book/Recipe Sites
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054978683

Food Blogs
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055578445

I saw those alright. They're not for restaurants though, they seemed to be for recipes and pictures of food. Not what I'm looking for.

Muahahaha

It would defintely be good to have an up to date list of Irish blogs covering restaurant reviews, especially ones where the reviews are independent unlike Menupages and Lovin Dublin. Im not in the Twitter/Instagram loop so not sure of whats out there. I do know that our own dudara here runs http://www.stitchandbear.com/ which has some great information on it

I remember either the Times or Indo did an article of Irelands top 10 food bloggers a while back, iirc it was mostly home cooks & recipies but I think one or two were restaurant review focussed. Will try to dig it out later and see if there is anything there

confusticated

Not helpful for Dublin or Kildare, sorry, but I'm in Cork and there's a restaurant recommendation thread in the Cork City forum that I've found great, both for reviews and for new places opening. Might be worth starting a similar one in your regional forum?

Day Lewin

@Dave_The_Sheep -- I think you need a network of foodie friends that like eating out: time to make connections! Ask them what they tried and liked, and pass on your own findings.

Then, start your own blog: please do share your opinions and recommendations!

There is a gap in the market here, waiting for you to fill it :-)

coylemj

Bloggers who cover the restaurant and hospitality sector typically harvest followers by nefarious methods and then use their follower count to bully restaurants and hotels into giving them free meals and/or rooms. Anyone who doesn't play ball gets a negative review.

Caveat emptor.