Venturing out into a new and exciting city, acting tourist or strolling around your own hometown, one thing will always prove to be true; not all restaurants are the same. So how does one know in advance which restaurants are good, bad, indifferent or great?

Easy. If you are willing to pay attention to details, there are many indications as to the quality of the restaurant before you even walk through that door. Here’s how:

Who's inside?

Have a look inside the window, don’t worry, it’s not considered rude. But before you do, have a look at your watch. Is it mealtime? If it is, how many people are inside this establishment? How many tables are full? If there is say, only one couple eating inside, then chances are they were just passing through and thought that this looked like a good enough place. Alternatively, if the restaurant is more than one third full, this is a sign that many of these people are repeat customers because they enjoy the food and service.

Are the people inside happy and enjoying themselves? This is the strongest indication of the quality of the service, and the superiority of the food. Many people are effected by the moods of their fellow diners, if the other patrons are eating in miserable silence or a cheerful ruckus, it can influence that taste of the food.

Note the relative popularity of a place. There are many roads in major cities where there are loads of restaurants near to each other, and the one in the middle with a buzzing crowd, surrounded by empty places, can often be a gem.

When considering eating at an ethnic restaurant, chew over this: How many people of the same ethnic background as the restaurant are eating inside? If you are looking in a Chinese style restaurant and the diners consist entirely of Caucasians, how Chinese is the food? Travel along to the next restaurant of the same genera, and there is a healthy mixture of Asian and Caucasian inside, then it is more likely that this is the better restaurant.

How clean is it?

This is the place where you want to pay attention to the little details. The cleanliness of the front of the establishment is often a good reflection of the cleanliness of the kitchen. A cobweb in the corner is not an indication of unsanitary conditions. Excessive cigarette butts and litter on the other hand often is.

Olfactory Senses

What Does this smell like to you?

Smells good? It probably is. Smells bad… The way we react to odours can indicate how we feel. More specifically, what type of food we feel like eating. The sense of smell is an integral part of taste. Pay attention to any messages that might come from your nose. It is amazingly accurate for such an undervalued sense.

Word of mouth

If something pleases the mouth, people will mouth off about it. Same goes if they are dissatisfied. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends for advice on where to/where not to eat. Why stop with your friends? Why not ask your boss, your neighbour, even a total stranger walking down the street. Chances are your cat won’t be much help in this area. Cats make much better psychologists than restaurant critics. Everyone has an opinion, just ask, I’m sure they’d love to share it with you.

Restaurant guides, on the other hand, tend to be less honest. Many guides require the company to purchase advertisement in their magazine in order to receive a recommendation.

We are all individuals, and I personally have had very decent meals in restaurants that are otherwise empty, and rubbish ones in places that are heaving, so if in doubt, choose the chef's specials - as this should always be the best of what's on offer.