Bartender Mateusz Molenda fills a glass of beer in a British pub in Warsaw, Poland, in 2017. Bartenders, not concierges, often know the full scoop on a city’s “hot” and “not” spots. (Alik Keplicz/AP)

Bartender Mateusz Molenda fills a glass of beer in a British pub in Warsaw, Poland, in 2017. Bartenders, not concierges, often know the full scoop on a city’s “hot” and “not” spots. (Alik Keplicz/AP)

For top tourist tips, skip the concierge and cozy up to the bar

Bartenders are the real experts of a given locale, and great beacons of advice when you’re traveling.

  • By Kerri Westenberg Minneapolis Star Tribune
  • Sunday, June 24, 2018 1:30am
  • Life

By Kerri Westenberg / Minneapolis Star Tribune

I was starving.

I’d been in Mexico for two hours, shuttling from the airport to my resort, and in the process, I’d skipped lunch. I was in desperate need of some killer tacos. And I knew just who to ask for recommendations on the best in town.

I took the elevator down to the lobby, walked right past the concierge desk and trekked into town, where I found a cool bar and bellied up.

Who was pouring the beer? My de facto travel guide.

Meet bartenders — the real experts of a given locale, and my go-to beacons of advice when I’m on the road.

Like most travelers, I like to research and plan before I take off. But you can’t always nail down every moment, and sometimes it’s better to get real-time feedback on the ground.

And who knows a food-and-drink scene better than its bartenders? Who is more plugged into what’s new, what’s hot and who just got a really bad health inspection grade? No reliable source that I’ve found, including concierges, who often make certain assumptions about what you want to do — and how much you want to spend — based on where you’re staying.

Concierges often send travelers to the most touristy of spots, since that’s apparently what most tourists want.

If you don’t want a cookie-cutter evening, perhaps consider your source. Via bartenders, I’ve found everything from restaurants and bars to secret beaches, cliffside views and hidden markets in Europe, Asia, South America and across the U.S.

I often hand a bartender my culled list of highlights, asking them to add places I’d neglected to find and cross off ones that weren’t as fun or interesting as that website had led me to believe. For a truly local experience, I’ll emphasize that I want to know where they eat, drink and hang — not where they think I’d like to.

Oh, and in Mexico, the tacos were indeed killer.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

What’s Up columnist Andrea Brown with a selection of black and white glossy promotional photos on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Free celeb photos! Dig into The Herald’s Hollywood time capsule

John Wayne, Travolta, Golden Girls and hundreds more B&W glossies are up for grabs at August pop-up.

Rodney Ho / Atlanta Journal-Constitution / Tribune News Service
The Barenaked Ladies play Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville on Friday.
Coming events in Snohomish County

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Edmonds announces summer concert lineup

The Edmonds Arts Commission is hosting 20 shows from July 8 to Aug. 24, featuring a range of music styles from across the Puget Sound region.

Big Bend Photo Provided By Ford Media
2025 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend Increases Off-Road Capability

Mountain Loop Highway Was No Match For Bronco

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Mustang Convertible Photo Provided By Ford Media Center
Ford’s 2024 Ford Mustang Convertible Revives The Past

Iconic Sports Car Re-Introduced To Wow Masses

Kim Crane talks about a handful of origami items on display inside her showroom on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Crease is the word: Origami fans flock to online paper store

Kim’s Crane in Snohomish has been supplying paper crafters with paper, books and kits since 1995.

The 2025 Nissan Murano midsize SUV has two rows of seats and a five-passenger capacity. (Photo provided by Nissan)
2025 Nissan Murano is a whole new machine

A total redesign introduces the fourth generation of this elegant midsize SUV.

A woman flips through a book at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Pop some tags at Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley

$20 buys an outfit, a unicycle — or a little Macklemore magic. Sales support the food bank.

The Mukilteo Boulevard Homer on Monday, May 12, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Homer Hedge’: A Simpsons meme takes root in Everett — D’oh!

Homer has been lurking in the bushes on West Mukilteo Boulevard since 2023. Stop by for a selfie.

Sarah and Cole Rinehardt, owners of In The Shadow Brewing, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In The Shadow Brewing: From backyard brews to downtown cheers

Everything seems to have fallen into place at the new taproom location in downtown Arlington

Bar manager Faith Britton pours a beer for a customer at the Madison Avenue Pub in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burgers, brews and blues: Madison Avenue Pub has it all

Enjoy half-price burgers on Tuesday, prime rib specials and live music at the Everett mainstay.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.