I have said it several times before on in my posts - Bangalore may have a range of restaurants fit into every nook and corner. But when comes to settling on the place to visit, frantic messages to friends, requests on FB and a lot of scanning through review sites happens. By the time you decide on the place you realize that its past lunch time and then start hunting for all-day places and start the cycle all over again. I know, because I have done it so many times before, despite having must-visit lists, bookmarked restaurant pages online and more. Sometimes things just don't fall in place.

When I first saw the maiden edition of the Zomato Restaurant Guide, I mentally smirked at the addition of yet another restaurant directory to the list. But as I scanned through it, I found in it the solution to my eternal problem. 

Here is what Zomato has done - based on their massive online presence and the reviews of foodies that write in to them, they have come up with a set of restaurants that fit the bill for a particular dining out requirement. So you have segments like 'Asian and Oriental', 'Beer in a Bar', 'Business & Travel', 'Kid Friendly' (Phew!), 'Romantic Dinners', 'Seafood', 'Great Wine Lists' 'Vegetarian' and then some really thoughtful ones like Girl's Night Out (how many of us have looked for those places that are safe at night and been at a loss), 'Late night eating joints' (Another eternal problem on weekends and after a late home party) and VFM places for those end of the month sojourns. 

There are of course more categories. The first part of the guide has a listing of the best restaurants in the category with all the information that you need to know at a glance. If you want some more info, you head on to the other half of the book where you will have a three-line review culled out from the reviews on the website, some must-haves at the restaurant and a QR which can scan on your smartphone and take a look at the restaurant's menu on the WAP portal of the site. 

On all counts, I find this a useful guide. It has covered almost every conceivable reason we go out to eat and gives you a list that is long enough to provide choice, cover popular areas and yet not be so long that you end up flipping pages endlessly. If I were to nitpick, the only detail I would have liked along with each of the listings is the parking situation for the restaurant. A plus point to a book like this is each successive edition will not be a collection of old information with a few updates, but rather it holds the possibility of a completely new set of restaurants making every edition worth investing in. It's open to the addition of newer categories every year - one suggestion perhaps - a section on restaurants that cater to small parties maybe. 

Anyways, Kudos on a great guide. Click on the image below if you would like to buy the book from Flipkart.