
07.06.2011 / Food & Leisure
Food for Geeks
Finding a nearby restaurant, checking the menu, the reviews and the clients’ opinions, and even reserving with nothing more than a smartphone or a tablet.
The restaurant and food apps are becoming more and more numerous and diverse, starting from the classic restaurant guides, those old-fashioned tools that seem to keep pace with modern technology by turning themselves into iPhone and iPad apps.
Such is the case of Gambero Rosso’s new Foodies guide, a selection of restaurants, groceries, pizzerias, wine bars, street food addresses and other destinations for food lovers which recently launched its app version.
Even the longed-for Michelin stars have come to the smartphone: you can look through the Michelin Restaurants Guide app, experts and customers reviews, ratings, services and contacts. You can browse the restaurants by name, nearness and chef.
For those living or travelling in the US, Canada, Australia or United Kingdom, Urban Spoon is a useful free tool working like a community: besides writing their own reviews, users can upload and share the pictures of their favourite choices from the menu, thus offering a veritable preview of what you’re going to order.
The Italian version of Urban Spoon is called Cibando and aims at becoming Italy’s most complete restaurant guide. It’s free and anyone can contribute to it. Along with the customers opinions you have the reviews from “correspondants” visiting the restaurants and shooting photos and videos.
Finally, a special mention goes to My Table, Europe’s first table searching and booking system, which allows you to check for available tables in the nearby restaurants and to make a reservation with a simple tap. Presently limited to Turin and Genoa, My Table will soon be available in other cities and might become a huge innovation.




