The whole concept of TripAdvisor alienates me. Almost all of the people who post a review of a restaurant on TA are by definition, the least qualified people to do so, and are people who you should not depend on for an opinion. For example, let's say you live in Rome and have never been to New York City. You go to NYC for two days and eat at three restaurants. How does that make you an expert at where to find good food in New York City?

If I was visiting NYC for the first time the last person I would ask about where I should go to have a great meal would be a tourist who has only visited the place once, for two days. It doesn't make any sense. It would be like I arrived to NYC and got sick and needed to know the name of a great doctor. Would I go to the Statue of Liberty and ask a tourist who is the best doctor in New York? How would a tourist know where best place to eat is in a city in Italy?

Generally, if a restaurant is highly rated on TripAdvisor that means to me that a lot of tourists go there, so be very, very cautious about it. There are some great restaurants where locals go, knowledgeable european travelers go, and some tourists go, and for good reason; great food. Places like that rarely make the top of a TripAdvisor list. For example, on this board people have acclaimed Al Covo as one of the best restaurants in Venice, and with good reason. You alway get a great meal there. It is easily one of the top ten restaurants in Venice, maybe even top five or top three, and I wouldn't even argue with someone who says it's the best restaurant in Venice. However, it's ranked #142 on TripAdvisor, so go figure.

Why ask a tourist who has only spent a few days in Italy where to eat when over there? There are numerous websites run by talented local reviewers, most of them free, for most cities in Italy that you can read to get a good idea where to eat over there. Relying on TripAdvisor for a place to eat in Italy is a recipe for disaster.