Dining out is usually a highlight of a holiday. But tourists are at risk of being overcharged in top destinations.

Tourist traps are restaurants that cater to visitors rather than locals and might charge people more money for poor quality food.

But how can travellers spot a tourist trap restaurant?

Experienced travellers have taken to Reddit to share their key tips to spot a tourist trap restaurant.

One person said: “Located in an extremely popular/touristy area, like right on the main square or right beside a tourist attraction. Not always a tourist trap, but usually a tourist trap.”

It’s understandable that lots of tourists want to eat in the most scenic part of the city - whether that’s the central square or by a popular monument.

However, restaurants located next to top attractions are usually much more likely to be tourist traps. It’s worth looking a little further away from the city centre for a better deal.

The traveller added: “In my experience, the number and variety of items on the menu is inversely related to the quality. So if a restaurant has a menu several pages long, especially one that combines several unrelated cuisines, this is a red flag.”

While a huge menu might seem like a good thing, it could mean that dishes are just heated up in the microwave.

The tourist added: “If the restaurant has an employee stationed outside whose job is to rope in more customers, it’s almost certainly a tourist trap.”

Restaurants that have a member of staff outside could be a tourist trap. Travellers should politely decline requests from staff if they’re still deciding where to eat.

The traveller added: “Menus that have pictures of the food. Again, not always a red flag, but still a frequent indicator of low quality in Italy.

“Locals don’t generally need to see a picture of the food to know what it is and whether they want it. This is usually a thing that touristy restaurants do.”

If a menu has lots of photos of food, it may be a place that’s more designed for tourists than local residents.