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Guide · Writing

How to write a food review, that people actually read.

A good food review answers one question for a stranger: should I go, and what should I order? Here is how to get there — from a two-word note at the table to a review for Google, a caption for Instagram or a full blog post — with a template you can fill in.

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In short

To write a food review, lead with your verdict, then describe the best and worst dish with specific words, add one line on the place and service, one on price and value, and finish with what to order. Use a short template and write from notes you made on the night.

Checked

Before you write

Start from your notes, not your memory.

The best reviews are full of details nobody remembers a week later: the char on the leeks, the waiter who suggested the wine, the twenty-minute wait for bread. Take one photo of the table and jot a few words before you leave — “leeks smoky, sauce too sweet, ask for window seat”. That is your first draft.

What to cover

The dish, the place, the price.

  • The dish: what it was, what it tasted like and what the texture was like — specific words beat “delicious” every time (see words to describe food).
  • The best and the worst: one dish to order, one to skip. Readers want a recommendation, not an inventory.
  • The place: noise, seating, who it suits (dates, groups, solo, kids), anything a first-timer should know.
  • Service: one sentence. Only longer if it made or broke the night.
  • Price and value: roughly how much per person, and whether it felt worth it for what you got.
  • Practical bits: booking, queues, cash only, vegetarian options, accessibility.

Fill it in

A food review template.

Copy this and fill the gaps. Delete any line you have nothing to say about.

  • Verdict: [one sentence — go / go for one dish / skip].
  • We had: [dishes], [drinks].
  • Order this: [dish] — [two or three specific words about taste and texture].
  • Skip this: [dish] — [why, kindly].
  • The place: [atmosphere], good for [who].
  • Service: [one line].
  • Price: about [amount] each; [worth it / fair / steep] for [reason].
  • Know before you go: [booking, queues, tips].

Examples

Three short examples.

The same meal written for three places
LengthExample
Google review3–5 sentencesGo for the lamb shoulder: falling apart, smoky, with a sharp yoghurt sauce. The flatbread is worth the extra wait. Loud on Fridays, so not one for a quiet date. Book ahead or arrive before 7.
Instagram caption1–3 linesLamb shoulder that falls apart at a look. Flatbread straight from the fire. Booking is a must.
Blog post400–1,000 wordsOpen with the moment the lamb arrived, then walk through the meal course by course, the room, the price, and finish with “order this, skip that”.

Avoid

Five mistakes that make reviews useless.

  • All adjectives, no detail. “Amazing, delicious, must try” tells a reader nothing.
  • Reviewing the night, not the food. Your bad day is not the kitchen’s fault.
  • One visit, final verdict. Say if it was your first time.
  • Cruelty. Be honest and specific about what didn’t work; skip the insults. Real people cooked it.
  • No recommendation. Always end with what to order.

For yourself first

A private note is a review too.

Not every review needs an audience. A one-line note to future-you — “the pork bun, not the noodles; sit upstairs” — may be the most useful review you ever write. That is how PlateDiary works (we make it): one photo of the table cuts each dish into its own save under the place, and you can add stars and a note to any of them. It is private, on your phone, with no public reviews — but when you do want to write one, your notes are all there.

Questions

Questions people ask.

How do you start a food review?

Start with your verdict or the single best moment of the meal. Readers decide in the first line whether to keep reading.

What should a food review include?

The dishes and what they tasted like, one to order and one to skip, the atmosphere, a line on service, roughly what it cost and whether it was worth it.

How long should a food review be?

Three to five sentences for a Google review, one to three lines for an Instagram caption, and 400 to 1,000 words for a blog post.

How do I describe food in a review?

Use specific taste and texture words — smoky, tangy, crisp, silky — and compare it to something familiar. One precise sentence beats five general ones.