Food reviewer reveals her top tips on how you can ace your next restaurant review

Goodman Fielder Food Service
Food reviewer reveals her top tips on how you can ace your next restaurant review

Food reviewer reveals her top tips on how you can ace your next restaurant review

Posted on 2nd May 2018
From the lighting to service and meal timings, popular food writer and reviewer reveals her top tips and trick on acing a restaurant review.

Summary

Reviews have been known to either make or break a restaurant. And in an era where venues struggle to find and keep staff, increase their bottom line and remain competitive with those around them, restaurant reviews are just an added pressure.

Over the years, restaurant reviews have been portrayed as a dreaded duty within the industry. Now, experts are reaching out to restaurant owners, managers and chefs to reveal their top tips on ensuring they ace their next restaurant review.

From welcoming guests upon arrival to ensuring the food is presented to the diner in a timely manner, food reviewer Melissa Leong spoke candidly about what she looks out for when analysing a venue. “It is everything from service, the surroundings and the actual food itself,” she said.

The former Gourmet Traveller writer explained to Goodman Fielder Food Service that restaurants are assessed on “every single element” of their premises. “From the second we walk in the door, we’re conscious on how long it takes to be greeted, the vibe of the atmosphere and the lighting of the venue,” she said.

Melissa added reviewers also take into account “the wine list and the menu, including spelling mistakes and the variety of drinks and food on offer. When asked how restaurants can ensure they successfully top their next review, Melissa explained staff need to ensure the customer experience is top-of-mind from the moment their guests arrive to when they leave the venue.

Food critic Melissa Leong reveals her tips on acing a restaurant review

Food reviewer Melissa Leong reveals her tips on acing a restaurant review

“From when they walk in the door, make them feel welcome and make sure they are being attended to,” she said. “Consider their dietary needs, as well as the quality of the food on offer, how the drinks match the dishes and the timing in-between courses – those are all the elements that come together to create a really positive dining experience.”

She also advised chefs and restaurant owners and managers to think about what they would want out of their own restaurant experience and implement it into their venue. “Put yourself in the shoes of your customers and take the time to dine at your own establishment,” Melissa explained.

“Go through the user experience and problem solve it in order to give yourself the best chance of your customers having a great time. The simplest thing is to consider the customer’s experience,” she said. “Think about who your customers are and think about the holistic nature of their experience.”

Restaurant Review

When discussing social media, Melissa explained it has helped boost, but also damaged reputations of many venues across the nation due to unmonitored and unfiltered consumer reviews. “Some of it is good and some of it is terrible; you look at various customer review sites where customers don’t have a critics background and they don’t think about anything other than themselves,” she said.

“Writing a scaling review about a place might impact on someone’s business, but some consumers have no consideration on how that business will be affected by it and that can be dangerous.” Along with the negative experiences, Melissa insisted social media has also had a “wonderful” effect on the world of hospitality as it has helped close the gap between the chef and their customers.

“The wonderful part is that if you are running a restaurant, social media has created the ability to connect with each other on a much more tenderable way,” she said. “It’s allowed chefs and restaurateurs to develop a closer relationship with their customers and producers. It is a feeling of connectedness within the industry.”

Top tips on how you can ace your next restaurant review:

  • Welcome guests upon arrival;
  • Deliver water to customers;
  • Have a range of dishes and drinks on the menu;
  • Consider customer’s dietary requirements;
  • Match drinks with guest’s chosen dishes;
  • Ensure courses are delivered to diners in a timely manner;
  • Attend to all your customer’s needs;
  • Engage in positive conversation with guests;
  • Make sure the venue’s background music is lowered;
  • Give your restaurant a “mood” – dim lighting.

Fill in your details below and tell us how you try and impress your restaurant reviewers during your review?

Related Ideas

13th December 2023

7 Ways to Survive Service in the Festive Season  

Here are our tips, straight from the chef's mouth, on how to survive the festive season in the kitchen
25th March 2023

A Chef’s Guide to Gluten Free Baking

Want to know how to turn your bakery goods into a gluten free delight? Check out our gluten free baking guide now.
25th March 2023

The Importance of Mentorships in Hospitality

The hospitality industry is changing at a pace we have never seen before. To make these challenging times slightly easier, a greater emphasis needs to be placed on mentoring and training the younger generation of chefs to ensure the future of hospitality is stronger than ever before.

More ideas

7 Ways to Survive Service in the Festive Season  

13th December 2023
Here are our tips, straight from the chef's mouth, on how to survive the festive season in the kitchen

A Chef’s Guide to Gluten Free Baking

25th March 2023
Want to know how to turn your bakery goods into a gluten free delight? Check out our gluten free baking guide now.

A guide to deep frying

2nd February 2023
Perfectly golden, delightfully crisp, deep fried goodness is one of the eternal comfort foods. We run through the tips of the trade to ensure your frying hits the mark every time.
Start Getting Fed with Ideas

Be inspired with recipes created by chefs.
Sign up for updates about products, special offers, news and promotional materials from Goodman Fielder.