Rick Steves Says Avoid European Restaurants If You See This Sign

The next time you're looking for a good meal while wandering the streets of a European city, travel writer and TV personality Rick Steves has some sage advice. This tip comes from a video on his teaching website in which Steves recommends travelers avoid any restaurant with a sign that says "No frozen food" in English. This may seem counterintuitive, as the sign seems to indicate that everything in the restaurant is fresh, but the English part is what sets Steves' internal sirens blaring. This sign is meant to draw in tourists, which means you may end up spending more money for what will likely be a mediocre meal.

Steves instead advises travelers to head three blocks away from tourist-packed streets. Rent will be lower there, so restaurant owners won't have to skimp on food quality. Inside, you'll likely find locals enjoying a good, fresh meal at a fair price. Find a menu that's handwritten (indicating that it changes with the seasons) and in the local language. If you're not fluent, smartphone apps like Google Lens enable your phone to translate the menu for you. Of course, if you're stressed, tired, and just need to eat, Steves affirms that there's no shame in eating off the tourist menu, as long as you know what you're getting yourself into.

Next time you travel abroad, there are ways to plan ahead and find places to eat that are worth the stop. Saving reels and videos on Instagram and TikTok are great ways to get inspiration, but it's wise to do more research from there to see if the restaurants actually live up to the social media hype. Online research is a great first step.

Rating sites like Tripadvisor are gold mines for reviews from other travelers. Forums like Reddit are great places to see what locals say about their food scenes. You'll get unfiltered opinions on what's overrated and what's actually worth the cost from people who eat in your target region every day.

If you're already in Europe looking for great places to grab a bite, try asking your barista where they like to eat. Employees at high-end cafes usually have good taste and know affordable places with great food. If you find yourself in Italy, Rick Steves recommends following the culture's rich tradition of aperitivo to fill up on delicious snacks.