As a food enthusiast, you feel the urge to assess what you’re eating to understand not just the flavors but the overall dining experience. It’s natural to want to rate and review restaurants, whether to share your insights with others or to keep track of your culinary adventures.
In this era, a restaurant also needs those reviews, which are crucial for its online presence and reputation. Positive reviews can lure more customers and improve the restaurant’s SEO, making them more visible to potential diners.
So, if you want to contribute to the success of your favorite eateries or help others discover the gems, understanding how to rate restaurants wisely is the key.
Continue reading this article!
Why is It Important?
Rating restaurants wisely is like having a special food power. It helps you pick good places to eat and also helps others find great restaurants. Your ratings show which restaurants do a great job and deserve more customers.
When you rate a restaurant, you’re not just sharing your experience but also encouraging restaurants to keep up their excellent work. Your ratings can inspire others to try new foods and discover their favorite spots.
Also, did you know that 90% of people check out customer reviews before visiting a business? This stat alone highlights the crucial role that good reviews play in attracting diners.
Your feedback can also help restaurants improve. By pointing out what they’re doing well and where they can improve, you’ll help them serve you and other customers even better in the future.
In today’s digital world, ratings are more important than ever. They can boost a restaurant’s online reputation and make it easier for people to find it on Google Maps, Yelp, or other platforms. Positive ratings can also help a restaurant appear higher in search results, making it more visible to potential customers. This is also why services like https://www.seoforestaurants.com/ exist—to help restaurants manage these reviews.
The Rating System
To rate a restaurant wisely, you should know the key elements contributing to a great dining experience. Knowing the rating system will help you evaluate these elements more effectively and provide a more accurate assessment of your experience.
Here are the things you should know:
The 80–20 Rule
The total restaurant rating should be split into two parts: the basic section (out of 80) and the additional features section (out of 20). If we combine them, the total will be 100, which is a restaurant’s theoretical maximum score.
If a restaurant serves perfect food but not special in any way, it won’t score extra points and can only reach a maximum of 80 out of 100. Consider the extra score, which is 20, as a measure of uniqueness and memorability from the dining experience and ambiance, not just about the food itself.
The Categories
For wise and objective scoring, it’s suggested to have categories so you have a structured framework for evaluation. This helps ensure that you consider all aspects of the dining experience, from the taste and quality of the food to the level of service and overall value.
In the basics section, there are three categories totaling 80 points. The list below could serve as your benchmark for scoring each category. However, you can also determine the score based on your priorities.
- Food: Flavor and Texture (60 points): This category is of utmost importance. Is the food flavorful? Does the dish have a harmonious texture?
- Food: Quality and/or Skillfulness (10 points): This category assesses the quality and freshness of the ingredients, as well as the skill and effort demonstrated by the chef.
- Value (10 points): Evaluate whether the meal provides good value based on the circumstances, such as sustainability.
In the additional features section, there are four categories worth a total of 20 points:
- Service and Setting: This category evaluates the quality of service, the ambiance, and the overall atmosphere. A negative score can indicate a memorable, though negative, experience.
- Misc / Memorability: This category assesses whether the restaurant or dish created a lasting memory.
- Presentation: This category considers the visual appeal of the food and whether it is worthy of being featured on Instagram.
- Creativity: This category evaluates whether the food is authentic and has a significant history or if it demonstrates unique and creative elements.
Score Correspondence
After scoring each category, add them together to calculate the final score. Here’s a rough guide to interpreting the scores:
- 85+: Exceptional restaurant; worth waiting a long time for.
- 80+: Worth a moderate wait; would return and recommend to others.
- 70+: Very tasty; would return if nearby and recommend to others.
- 60+: Good food; no regrets dining here.
- 50+: Average; didn’t leave a strong impression.
- 40+: Below average; unlikely to return.
- 30+: Poor; would not recommend.
- 30-: Worse than my cooking.
Correspondence to Stars
Like those found in Google Reviews, restaurant ratings are typically represented by stars. You can use the table below to determine the restaurant’s corresponding star rating if you already have a numerical score.
Score Range | Star Rating |
>85 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
70-84 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
50-69 | ⭐⭐⭐ |
30-49 | ⭐⭐ |
<30 | ⭐ |
Write a Restaurant Review Tips
Whether it’s offline or online reviews, you can greatly influence others’ dining decisions. Here are some key tips to consider before you start doing it:
Don’t announce yourself as a reviewer
To provide an authentic review, you need to experience the restaurant as any other guest would. Avoid announcing yourself as a reviewer or restaurant critic to the staff or the restaurant owner, as this could lead to special treatment. Blending in gives you a more accurate sense of the service and food quality.
Don’t take free food in exchange for leaving a good review
Maintain your integrity by paying for your meals. Accepting free food or other incentives in exchange for a positive review can compromise your impartiality and credibility as a reviewer. Paying for your meals ensures that your review is based solely on your dining experience.
Be specific and detailed with your feedback — positive or negative
When writing a review, provide specific details about your experience. Describe the ambiance, the service, and the great food in detail. This helps readers understand your experience better and provides valuable restaurant feedback. For example, instead of saying, “The service was good,” or “It’s a good restaurant,” you could say, “The server was attentive and friendly, making sure our glasses were never empty.”
Consider your implicit bias
It’s essential to be aware of your implicit biases when you leave a review. Your personal preferences, past restaurant experiences, and other factors can influence your perception of the restaurant. Take a moment to reflect on these biases before writing your review. For example, if you strongly prefer spicy food, you might be more critical of a restaurant serving milder dishes.
Before leaving a bad review, give the restaurant a chance to make it right
Everyone deserves a second chance. If your visit doesn’t go as expected, consider sharing your feedback directly with the restaurant before posting a negative review. Giving them an opportunity to address your concerns could lead to a more positive outcome. Remember to check the restaurant’s privacy policy regarding negative feedback and reviews.
Conclusion
Trying out different types of cuisine in other places and experiencing various service levels can be a delightful experience for anyone who loves food. A detailed rating system that looks at all aspects of the dining experience can help you make smart choices, find hidden gems, and make your culinary journey even more enjoyable.
Whether you’re looking for something simple or fancy, thinking carefully about your experience can make each meal more than just food—it can make it a memorable journey.