I’ve eaten countless meals on holidays that I’ll never remember — expensive dinners at fine restaurants with good views, international menus, and full bars.

But I’ll never forget the owners of an open-air grilled fish spot in Puerto Vallarta. Just off the traffic circle and along the river, we’d go twice weekly for long lunches. He’d bring us homemade racilla, “grandfather of tequila,” and warn us it was strong, yet always serve it with a cold beer. We’d watch the river birds waiting for scraps, with smoke rising from fish on hot coals a few feet away, tempting us. They knew our favorites, and soon we were trading octopus recipes and fishing spots.

The best way to experience local food traditions is at their source. Break free from restaurant chains to eat where the locals eat. You’ll be exposed to seasonal products fresh from the market, prepared according to regional and family recipes.

You’ll support small businesses, who almost always welcome new faces and are proud to show off a regional dish. Just don’t expect a laminated multi-lingual menu, and be chill about specialties past your comfort zone. “Nose to tail” dishes come from economic necessity, not hip trends of the coasts.

You’ll learn the rhythm of local life, which runs on its own logic and won’t be everything you want, whenever you want it. A juice spot might disappear by 10am; a lunch bar closed by 2, while suppers in Madrid might not even open until 9:30pm.

Here's some ideas on how to eat like a local:

  • Dump TripAdvisor. It’s a relentless marathon for ranking. Its reviews are written by tourists, for tourists. They excel at superlatives (“the best hamburger I’ve ever had in my life ever!”) but overlook the everyday.
  • Ask at bars. Be specific about what you’re looking for. I like to ask, “where do you like to eat when you eat out?”
  • Walk. In a new town, I’ll often walk mornings and note every restaurant, hole in the wall, and delivery spot.
  • Use Google Maps. It does a good job showing businesses, even if it lags behind new openings by a few months.

How about you? how find out where the locals eat?