I usually have a look at Google Maps for what’s around me and check the reviews.
However if I see a restaurant with a lot of tourists I don’t go
I usually look for the busy restaurants where only locals eat, also places outside of busy touristic areas
if i’m traveling on business I usually have to urge my coworkers to take me where the “normal people” eat… lol. they often opt to go to more fancier places, which are usually a let down. My first trip to Taipei about 10 years ago we were eating all sorts of fancy stuff and I was pretty unimpressed, then the last day our colleague, in a rush to get to meetings later that day, just took us to Din Tai Feng (which of course now is insanely popular around the globe). Immediately I was like… “what is this!!! how have we not been going here the entire time!!!” lol
In Asia, the smaller night markets are great aren’t they. In Taipei for example I typically avoid Shilin having been once (too touristy).
The smaller ones tend to hit better.
In Europe (for example when I’ve been alone in Italy), always Osteria/Trattoria, as I’m sure you’ll agree @Ottavia-Mandarin_Simplified_HS you know you’re going to get something true and local at these little gems