Ever felt like you've been ripped off for a meal while on holiday? You might have fallen prey to a restaurant. These eateries, designed to lure in , can often be pricey and may not serve authentic local dishes.

However, they can sometimes be tricky to identify, particularly if you're unfamiliar with the city and don't speak the language. Seasoned travellers have offered their best advice to dodge these tourist trap restaurants and thankfully, there are a few easy ways to spot them.

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user 'spaghetticola' shared: "The tourist trap restaurants (overpriced with mediocre food) are easy to spot a mile away. Like someone else commented, they'll be around the main tourist attractions and often have vast outdoor seating.

"Location alone can't dictate a tourist trap, but there are two big tells. One is a promoter outside, a waiter standing next to the menu and speaking English attracting people over to take a look.

"These people are essentially salesmen dressed as waiters and you'd be best off politely declining or avoiding eye contact altogether."

Promoters may attempt to entice tourists to dine at a restaurant but guests may not be shown the prices before sitting down, reports .

The person added: "If there are pictures of the food on some big laminated menu where everything is in English, get out!"

Another traveller advised: "Avoid restaurants too close to tourist attractions and take pictures of the menus outside the restaurant.

"Some of them may try to charge you more once inside. Also try to get to the average price of common things."

If you're on the hunt for a decent eatery, it's worth getting tips from hotel staff.

You'll likely bag yourself a bargain bite if you venture away from the tourist traps – restaurants off the beaten track often come with lower prices and more locals hanging out.