Hi Facebook Friends, Which is the Best Restaurant?

RMN Digital | June 21, 2012 | Americas, Applications, Enterprise, Lifestyle, Masses, Regions, Social, Social Media | No Comments

Leading travel site TripAdvisor aims to get this answer for you, if you’re looking for a good eating joint around you. It has launched Local Picks, a Facebook app that provides dining recommendations from locals and friends to discover and choose the best places to eat.

Covering more than 850,000 restaurants worldwide, Local Picks draws from millions of diner reviews and opinions collected on TripAdvisor, highlighting contributions from locals and friends, says the company.

Each restaurant has a detailed profile that includes a score from 1-5 on the Local Picks Index, a rating system that aims to bring neighborhood favorites and “hidden gem” eateries to the forefront, as deemed by real locals who know the area best.

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Recently, TripAdvisor also launched its “Friend of a Friend” feature that highlights trusted reviews and opinions from friends of Facebook friends. (Read: How to Get Travel Advice from Friend of a Friend)

Built on Facebook, Local Picks allows users to express opinions and get restaurant advice from people they know and trust. The app is integrated with Facebook’s timeline so diners can share ratings, favorites, and themed lists, with friends.

Serving as a comprehensive resource for foodies, Local Picks also displays essential information including a restaurant’s address, neighborhood, type of cuisine, phone number, website address, hours of operation, menus, and colorful photos.

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“TripAdvisor is committed to improving the social travel planning experience and, whether you’re looking for a restaurant in a foreign city or in your own backyard, Local Picks is an excellent resource for the inside scoop,” says Adam Medros, vice president of global product for TripAdvisor. “The app leverages the Facebook Platform to uniquely combine friend advice with local insight, highlighting dining options from those that know the user and the area best.”

Announced Wednesday, June 20, Local Picks is now available to Facebook users in English, and will be launched in multiple languages later this summer. To experience the app, you can visit https://apps.facebook.com/localpicks.