Writing a Restaurant Review

Take advantage of the potential to customize your newspaper and introduce monthly features that directly relate to your community. Restaurant reviews both entertain and inform your audience. Have a member of your staff write a monthly restaurant review of new or lesser-known restaurants, coffee shops, or delicatessens.

Your reviewer is not likely a professional food critic; so don’t try to emulate the pros. Be straightforward and simply cover aspects of the restaurant you would want to know before venturing into an unfamiliar establishment. Ratings should be included and criticisms can be peppered throughout the review, but for the purpose of your publication, it is best to avoid reviews that are wholly negative.

Restaurant reviews should address five areas:
Food – Your audience primarily wants to know if the food is high quality. Were the ingredients fresh? Was the presentation poor, average, or superior? If you are reviewing an ethnic or regional restaurant, be sure to point out how authentic and unique your meal was. Were vegetarian and low-fat options available?
Price – What can the average person expect to pay for his or her meal? Was the food worth the price? You might want to highlight the prices for a few appetizers and entrees on the menu.
Service – Think of service beyond the confines of “good” and “poor.” You obviously want to mention how you were treated and the promptness of service, but also highlight any distinctive attributes of the service. Some restaurants provide entertaining services. Japanese steakhouses, for example, typically feature highly skilled chefs that turn meal preparation into a gala. Inform your audience about restaurants that provide unique and superior service.
Cleanliness – This is straightforward. Did the restaurant meet your expectations for cleanliness of tables, silverware, restrooms, etc.?
Atmosphere – Atmosphere encompasses many of the aforementioned areas. Paint a picture for your audience. Show the reader, don’t tell the reader. What was the mood of the restaurant? Was it casual or formal? Were patrons loud or quiet? Describe the background music. What makes the atmosphere of the restaurant unique? Is the table covered in linen or paper? Are you eating with utensils or your fingers? The possibilities for describing atmosphere are limitless.