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Google Maps' new AI features can help you discover your next favorite restaurant.
Google Maps turns 20 this year. In its two decades, Maps has evolved from a simple navigational aid to a mobile app that enables discovery — whether you’re looking for something to eat in a city on the other side of the world or in your neighborhood. “We have all the information you need to get there — obviously, we are Maps,” says Amanda Leicht Moore, director of product management for Google Maps. “But we also have the information you need to decide if you want to go somewhere and the information you need to have a great experience.”
Maps has detailed info on some 250 million places around the world, and its tech is primed to help you better understand a city’s dining scene. Here are three tips for using Google Maps to find the perfect restaurant for any time, place, or occasion.
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Ask questions like you're asking a friend
Thanks to an artificial intelligence update last year, Maps offers inspiration for particular occasions — or even just for a fun Saturday night activity. Ask the app for restaurant recommendations the same way you’d ask a friend, and it’ll give you suggestions. “Where to take a date for dinner?” returns a list of restaurants open in the evening and deemed romantic by reviewers. “Where to eat with kids near me?” suggests local family-friendly spots vetted by parents.
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Consult a list — or make your own
Google’s new “trending” lists, which rank 25 hot spots based on a variety of popularity signals, are tucked inside restaurant search results in 1,000 cities and neighborhoods globally, with more to come. “It tends to bias toward places that are relatively new or places that are buzzy,” Moore says.
Maps also offers lists from partners like Lonely Planet and from celebrities: Last year, Billie Eilish shared a list of plant-based restaurants in some of the cities she was touring in. Create and add to a list by tapping the “save” button in a restaurant’s listing; share lists with friends, and invite them to add their favorite spots. Any saved lists or locations will show up every time you load the map.
Once you decide, go deeper
A restaurant’s listing shows the basics up top: location, hours, contact info, menus, and more. Ratings come below, including an AI-generated review summary featuring the highs (and lows) of a restaurant’s menu, service, and atmosphere. To go deeper, ask Maps about the place. Type a question into the search bar, like “What’s the dress code?” and Google’s AI answers succinctly, annotated with source information: photos, review snippets, and links “to give you confidence that we’re showing you accurate information,” Moore says.
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