Zagat: the “burgundy bible” comes to Australia

Iskandar Blogger 1:28 AM
The Zagat guide was started more than three decades ago on the simple idea that the combined opinions of restaurant diners are inherently more accurate than reviews from a few critics. Each review contained the most accurate and up-to-date information through curating comments from real customers — making Zagat an early pioneer in what we now call “user generated content.”

Australian foodies may have used Zagat overseas, but they’ve not been able to rate their local spots. That all changes today as we open the voting period for our first-ever Zagat survey of Sydney. Locals are invited to voice their opinions about the Sydney restaurants and Sydney attractions they’ve visited over the past year.

To better ensure the ratings reflect a customer’s full experience, we want diners to separately rate the food, decor, and service on a 0-3 scale and then estimate the cost of a meal. After reading your ratings and comments, Zagat’s editors will curate this feedback and create accurate reviews that represent the combined experiences of local diners. This process ensures that readers are provided with reliable, structured information that doesn’t require going through dozens of comments before making a decision on where to eat.
An example of a Zagat entry

Although Zagat is well-known for restaurant and bar reviews, it’s not just dinner and drinks we want to hear about. With the Sydney survey, we want to hear what you think of all attractions, including Taronga Zoo, Paddington Markets, and Cockatoo Island. In July Zagat will survey Sydney Nightlife and Shopping as well as Melbourne Restaurants and Attractions. A survey of Melbourne Shopping will take place in November.

As we open the survey, we are also setting up special Zagat lounges across Sydney where you’ll be able to write your reviews, find out more about Zagat, and have the chance to win some great prizes. 
Here are the locations and schedules:

  • Westfield Pitt Street Mall
22 May - 26 May
  • Westfield Bondi Junction
28 May - 2 June
  • Sydney Film Festival
6 June - 17 June
  • Good Food and Wine Show
22 June - 25 June

We’ve all got that favourite restaurant we recommend to visitors of our harbour city, and we love to rave to mates about that tucked-away store that stocks our favourite hard-to-find items. Whether we’re foodies, shoppers, travellers, or just enjoy the finer things in life, we hope you find that Zagat makes it easier to share their experiences with your fellow Sydneysiders and the world.

Posted by Anna Kricker, Sydney Community Manager, Google Australia