Before Zomato, it took talking to friends, posting on Facebook and furious google searches to find restaurants and then an equal amount of research for their reviews and finding their menu: all for a meal. Now, finding a meal is as simple as swiping right on Tinder to find a date. However, Zomato relies on user reviews and sorting algorithms to just list restaurants and the experience may soon get repetitive and monotonous.
However, newer apps and groups present on social media are delivering food experiences that go just beyond recommending places to eat and make the dining experience a little more interesting. Here’s a look at ways you can spice up that next lunch:
Go food hunting with food lovers on Eatlo
USP: Restaurant reviews and recommendations
Region: Across the country, most active in metros
What started as a food review and photography blog in Delhi by food enthusiast Shashank Aggarwal has now turned into a 30,000 member strong community of food lovers spread across the country. Those concentrated in the metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta regularly meet up for “eatups” where they pool money and explore restaurants in a certain area.
However, those who are too shy to attend these events with total strangers can also be found gelling with other people in the group online and sharing recipes, recommendations and reviews. Eatlo’s Delhi group is a secret group open to admission only if someone you know adds you to the group.
Getting a recommendation from Eatlo gang is simple: just post it on their timeline.
Order food cooked by chefs at Bite Club
USP: Delivery of food prepared by chefs
Region: Gurgaon
More often than not, restaurants end up offering similar palate and having the same flavours every day could get a little monotonous and the Bite Club app aims to solve the same problem.
The app doesn’t feature restaurants and delivers food made by chefs and homemakers instead. Perfectly suited to those who work in corporate offices in and around Gurgaon, the app aims to take away the pain of finding a new place to eat every day by constantly updated menus and homemade delicacies.
Receive food while travelling in train from TravelKhana
USP: Delivery on seats during train journeys
Region: Over 160 locations across the country
Those who travel in Indian Railways often complain about the hygiene and lack of variety available in the food that train pantries offer. TravelKhana is a website which hopes to tackle this problem by providing ‘scrumptious’ food on the train seat itself once the order is placed using its app.
Available at all major locations from Agra to Chennai, the app provides easy access to menus of nearby restaurants and delivers food from them on the platform itself. The app has received multiple good reviews for its quality and prices but a few people have also complained about not receiving the food on time.
Pickup food without waiting through GoGrab
USP: Reduces waiting time at restaurants
Region: Chennai, Bangalore, Pondicherry
A walk down the road to pick up food could become a nightmare in popular restaurants which are always buzzing with crowds and run long waiting periods for fulfilling orders. In these cases, pre ordering food before one goes down to actually pick it up could save both time and frustration.
This is where a Chennai based venture called GoGrab steps in. It is an app which claims to make the process of ordering food for takeaway faster by getting it prepared before one lands up at the eatery to receive it. The service is available in Chennai, Bangalore, Pondicherry and Tirunelveli and also offers delivery at door in case you change your mind to pick up the food.
Order exclusive combos from TinyOwl
USP: Fast online ordering of food from restaurants
Region: Mumbai
Similar to Foodpanda and other apps which bring food ordering to smartphones, TinyOwl aims to provide quick delivery of restaurant food to Mumbai citizens. The app has crossed 5,000 downloads and allows people to look at menus, pay online or through cash on delivery of the food and saves order for one-touch reordering in future.
Even though the app looks promising, it has received mixed reviews with some users complaining about delay in receiving food while others praising it for the ease of use. Nonetheless, a tap is all it would take to give it a spin.
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However, newer apps and groups present on social media are delivering food experiences that go just beyond recommending places to eat and make the dining experience a little more interesting. Here’s a look at ways you can spice up that next lunch:
Go food hunting with food lovers on Eatlo
USP: Restaurant reviews and recommendations
Region: Across the country, most active in metros
What started as a food review and photography blog in Delhi by food enthusiast Shashank Aggarwal has now turned into a 30,000 member strong community of food lovers spread across the country. Those concentrated in the metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta regularly meet up for “eatups” where they pool money and explore restaurants in a certain area.
However, those who are too shy to attend these events with total strangers can also be found gelling with other people in the group online and sharing recipes, recommendations and reviews. Eatlo’s Delhi group is a secret group open to admission only if someone you know adds you to the group.
Getting a recommendation from Eatlo gang is simple: just post it on their timeline.
Order food cooked by chefs at Bite Club
USP: Delivery of food prepared by chefs
Region: Gurgaon
More often than not, restaurants end up offering similar palate and having the same flavours every day could get a little monotonous and the Bite Club app aims to solve the same problem.
The app doesn’t feature restaurants and delivers food made by chefs and homemakers instead. Perfectly suited to those who work in corporate offices in and around Gurgaon, the app aims to take away the pain of finding a new place to eat every day by constantly updated menus and homemade delicacies.
Receive food while travelling in train from TravelKhana
USP: Delivery on seats during train journeys
Region: Over 160 locations across the country
Those who travel in Indian Railways often complain about the hygiene and lack of variety available in the food that train pantries offer. TravelKhana is a website which hopes to tackle this problem by providing ‘scrumptious’ food on the train seat itself once the order is placed using its app.
Available at all major locations from Agra to Chennai, the app provides easy access to menus of nearby restaurants and delivers food from them on the platform itself. The app has received multiple good reviews for its quality and prices but a few people have also complained about not receiving the food on time.
Pickup food without waiting through GoGrab
USP: Reduces waiting time at restaurants
Region: Chennai, Bangalore, Pondicherry
A walk down the road to pick up food could become a nightmare in popular restaurants which are always buzzing with crowds and run long waiting periods for fulfilling orders. In these cases, pre ordering food before one goes down to actually pick it up could save both time and frustration.
This is where a Chennai based venture called GoGrab steps in. It is an app which claims to make the process of ordering food for takeaway faster by getting it prepared before one lands up at the eatery to receive it. The service is available in Chennai, Bangalore, Pondicherry and Tirunelveli and also offers delivery at door in case you change your mind to pick up the food.
Order exclusive combos from TinyOwl
USP: Fast online ordering of food from restaurants
Region: Mumbai
Similar to Foodpanda and other apps which bring food ordering to smartphones, TinyOwl aims to provide quick delivery of restaurant food to Mumbai citizens. The app has crossed 5,000 downloads and allows people to look at menus, pay online or through cash on delivery of the food and saves order for one-touch reordering in future.
Even though the app looks promising, it has received mixed reviews with some users complaining about delay in receiving food while others praising it for the ease of use. Nonetheless, a tap is all it would take to give it a spin.
