Google Maps for Android is serving up yummy restaurant discovery
I'm going to let you in on a little secret -- I am overweight, and love to eat. It's true. While I have been known to chow down on fast food like McDonalds and Taco Bell, my true enjoyment is higher-end dining. Dinner at a fancy restaurant is a great way to relax after a hard week of work.
When you live in a place like New York, however, deciding on a place to eat can be difficult. The number of high-quality restaurants are endless. With that said, you never want to try a new place on a whim and end up having an expensive and disappointing meal. If you are an Android user, you can now explore and discover new restaurants without fear. Google Maps will now assist you in dining discovery, and depending on where you live, will offer curated listings as well. Hopefully this will come to iOS too. Bon appétit!
"Whether you're a tourist looking for a casual dinner or a local trying to find a new neighborhood watering hole, Google Maps for mobile provides the most detailed and useful information so you can make the best decision on where to go. Starting today in Google Maps for Android in the US and UK, you'll be able to uncover the best your city has to offer with our updated explore feature. And in NYC, San Francisco and London, you'll enjoy curated recommendations from Google Maps. Now you can discover what is unique (and delicious!) about the neighborhood you’re in -- whether it’s pre-theater dining in the Theater District in NYC, Dolores Park picnic fare in the Mission in San Francisco or centuries-old pubs in The City in London", says Murali Viswanathan, Senior Product Manager, Google Maps.
Viswanathan further explains, "while Google Maps may offer a suggested list, such as lunch or dinner based on your location and time of day, sometimes a change of scenery is in order! Never fear, all options for nearby neighborhoods, categories and cuisines are all just one tap away. And if you don’t find the perfect place at first glance, you can choose to load more places from the area, expand the area or switch to a different category".
Yes, there can be some fun in blindly walking into a restaurant based on its outward appearance and charm. With that said, no one enjoys food poisoning and diarrhea; the unfortunate possibility by not doing your due diligence. Me? I'll stick to reading online reviews before eating anywhere. When I am in Manhattan, I will be sure to fire up Google Maps for Android first, to get a curated list.
Would you use a Google-supplied curated restaurant list to pick where to eat? Tell me in the comments.