Looking through some web site restaurant review sites and it is obvious that many of the top ten rated restaurants are reliant on some pretty old reviews to maintain their top slots. Should any reviews older than a year be regarded as anything other than a rough guide and certainly not taken into account when assessing the top places to dine?

Just as an example I remember some years ago Emdee (a very trusted reviewer) offering advice for eating in Hua Hin. He waxed lyrical about two restaurants Jasmines and Sawadee. A few months later we visited these restaurants and agreed 100% with Emdees assessment, and ate regularly at both places. We were back in Hua Hin at the end of last year and my wife was keen to spend her first evening at Sawadee. What a disappointment. The food was very average, small portions, higher than average prices and suffering from an infestation of flies. Jasmines had to be better? no again very average food at above average prices and the place was empty. We walked past both places on a number of occassions and never saw more than a couple of tables occupied.

Change of owner? change of chef? complacency? greed?

Good post. All of the above, I feel. Amongst traveller circles there is the "Lonely Planet effect", whereby a hostel or restaurant that is given a prestigious placement in one of its guides is suddenly swarming with customers, which can lead to complacency. If they've got people constantly coming through the door based on a good review in print, then they can let standards slip, or cut corners, without seeing an impact on the bottom line.

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Rone

I concur with your comments.

We too had been to Sawadee a number of times over the past few years but on a trip in 2009 we found it had fallen away badly and the food was indeed more expensive and it was quite bland. We tried it twice during the trip thinking the kitchen might have been having a bad day, but no, both times it was poor. We have crossed it off the list and stayed well clear this year. Similarly, we were keen to try Jasmines on Emdees recommendation which was a few years old. When we visited prices were high, compared to other nearby places, very few customers and poor eating. I made some enquiries and ascertained the chef who was there when Emdee visited had since departed and there were new owners. Bit of a pity, although I guess things never stay the same, especially in the eating game and you just have to hope for the best and if its no good then you go elsewhere.

I think its best to weigh up and decide yourself about the reviews. If its a current review and you have faith in the reviewer then you should expect it to be up to scratch and hopefully the reviewers tastes in food are ok and not coming from a person who thrives on take away fish and chips and hamburgers. If the review is a bit old, then perhaps some more thought and investigation is required before a visit. I must admit I am a great fan of Emdees reviews and have found 99% of the places he has visited to be as described in his reviews and certainly no blame can be attached to any reviewer if the place goes downhill afterwards.