Most of us love a trip out for a slap-up meal in a fancy restaurant. Hands up if it takes you longer to decide where to go than it takes to wolf down a three-course meal? Yep, thought so. With over 86,000 restaurant businesses in the UK, it’s no wonder we all get a headache trying to choose the perfect place. Here are five things to consider when choosing your next meal out.

Go for Green

It is more important than ever that businesses go green and promote sustainable processes. When picking your next restaurant, consider how eco-friendly it is. Check to see if they use biodegradable take-out cups and paper straws rather than plastic. Also find out if they are using effective recycling systems like First Mile services to dispose of their food, glass and cardboard. That way, you can be sure your tasty treats aren’t harming the environment.

Hygiene is King

Who wants to pay good money to eat somewhere that is dirty or unhygienic? No thanks. The Food Standards Agency rate restaurants, cafés and bars hygiene standards from 0 to 5 which is often displayed on a green sticker at the premises. This makes it super easy before you go in to check if you want to spend your hard-earned cash there. 5 means that the standards are very good (go for it) and 0 means that urgent improvement is required (avoid these like the plague).

Customer Reviews                                                          

One of the best ways to check if a restaurant is going to live up to expectation is to see if other people have enjoyed their experience. Generally, if the majority of customers have rated a restaurant highly and have said the food, service, ambience and value for money is good, then it should be a pretty safe bet. TripAdvisor is a great place to start as it ranks restaurants according to their review scores and gives you the opportunity to read other customers comments before you go.

Value for Money

It’s important when choosing a restaurant to ensure you are getting good value for money. No one wants to spend £50 for some dry spaghetti or a handful of fries. You can usually check out the restaurant’s website beforehand to see if they are using quality, fresh ingredients, locally sourced meats or delicacies. This should indicate whether the product is worth the price tag. Meals out can be pricey, so make sure you are spending wisely!