What do you look for in a restaurant review?

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  1. #11

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    Problem is, unless you take a balanced approach, credibility is lost.
    How do I know the positive reviews weren't made by shills of the restaurant in question?
    If you don't allow negative reviews, then I'm sorry but I won't be reading.
    Yes, we all know it's a complex area, e.g. Restaurant owners lose defamation case

    Surely, there must be some lawyers reading this forum who can advise how to build a review site which is lawsuit resistant?


  2. #12

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    'The views expressed reflect those of the contributors and not of XYZ or its staff.'

    I get a similar caveat put by my Ed on any piece I write for his mag... ;-)


  3. #13

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    Surely, there must be some lawyers reading this forum who can advise how to build a review site which is lawsuit resistant?
    Not possible in Hong Kong.

    However, you can write a review about a bad restaurant without it being negative and making it personal.

    I don't see anything wrong about someone who is a regular (check the forums here) saying they did not like a restaurant or the food. What we have serious problems with is the hit and run negative reviews which are personal, vicious and aimed squarely at the business owner's bottom line.

  4. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by shri:
    Robert - that is a tough one. I think it is better to look for reviews from familiar names and the ratings of the reviewers (did people find their reviews helpful?).

    One isolated positive review by itself is suspicious.

    However, even one isolated negative review can be much more damaging to the businesses in question.

    Take the recent telco spam ... this one telco has obviously hired an agency to spam message boards with bad news / not so good reviews about their competitors ("I have this mobile and cannot get a connection from home") along with glowing reviews about themselves.

    Overall, for us a much more long term attitude for a reviews site is to reward the positively reviewed establishments and ignore the ones which get bad reviews (those reviews will never be published).
    I would have thought the easiest way to get round planted reviews and therefore allow good AND bad to be equally treated is to be pre registered as a reviewer. Put the onus on the reviewer to prove their credentials.

    It goes back to the " ladies who lunch " scenario we talked about ages ago and will give the site much more attractability IMHO.

    Anyways glad to see its finally going to happen and can't wait to contribute in the " feed your family for 50 bucks " section. Hoping it won't all be about be about Michelin wannabes, with reviewers who's alter ego is as a NY Times food critic and amateur sommelier.
    Last edited by Boris; 18-12-2009 at 04:17 PM.

  5. #15

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    thats it!!!!!!!
    we have been pawns or guinea pigs this whole time.

    you have been testing the blobbies rating system on us, in preps for the restaurant review site.
    seriously though...it would a perfect use for it. people can rate restaurants with red and blue blobs. people who are around longer or participate more can get bigger influence. those who are new give blue "pending" blobs.

    then you can link the restaurants and blobs to the reviewers....so that people with many similar likes can be suggested new places to try.

    when do i get my check for building this for you shri?


  6. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by BenderBends:
    when do i get my check for building this for you shri?
    If only you had asked for a cheque..............................

  7. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boris:
    If only you had asked for a cheque..............................
    pardon my illiterate american tongue

  8. #18

    Hubby and I do not trust reviews, we rather do the whole pop in and look a the menu routine versus someone's review who's tastes might not be inline with yours.

    After all Hubby likes Stinky Tofu and cannot stand the smell of Prosciutto, while I on the other hand being Italian cannot stand the smell of fermented shrimp, stinky tofu, or entrails.

    Its really bad when its close to that time of the month, my senses become some enhanced that I wanna puke whenever I walk to the store.


  9. #19

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    Maybe write up some fictional reviews that illustrate a sample or two of what is an acceptable negative review (the shrimp were too salty) as opposed to one that's not (the idiot chef can't cook a simple shrimp dish).


  10. #20

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    I can't wait to see the new site!

    What about 'occasion' or 'dining situation' as an additional search field (a rough example would be - group dining vs. family friendly vs. ideal for celebrations vs. romantic vs. offers happy hour vs. pet friendly etc)?

    I find this is handy when reviewing postings for restaurants that I have never been to, or if I am trying to find a certain type of restaurant.