Most of you will know what it's like to be caught off guard by the news of your folks dropping in the very next day to visit their child. You have a couple of places in mind you could take them but they're fully booked. You, now panicky, start asking for recommendations from Google, Yelp and your friends, but the mixed responses only make things worse. Should you not mind those few 1-star reviews and take chances with the steakhouse or play it safe and book a fancy, new place on the outskirts of town?

In any case, it's tricky to figure out the excellent restaurant from the ones not even worth taking your Bumble date to, seeing as most of them (at least, in the same price range) all look pretty much alike. That's why we turned to Andy Hayler, a London-based fine-dining critic for Elite Traveler magazine, who was the first person to have been to every 3-star Michelin restaurant in the world (yes, even Jiro Ono's Sukiyabashi Jiro).

Turns out, no matter if you're a mere foodie or a well-respected food critic, there's no escape from getting the vibe of a place by reading online reviews. "Positive reviews of the restaurant, ideally from a respected guide like Michelin or a restaurant reviewer that you trust," Hayler explained to Bored Panda in an email, should set you on the right course.

According to recent data from Google, 98% of people found that Google Ratings accurately reflected the actual dining experience. While more than half of 18-34-year-olds admitted that both positive and negative reviews play a huge role in deciding where to splash their hard-earned money.

While there are about a million factors that go into what makes a "decent" restaurant - for reference, we recommend watching Gordon Ramsay's classic Kitchen Nightmares or Bradley Cooper's brilliant Burnt - a well-designed menu is a crucial part of a restaurant's appeal. Sure, they are often overlooked, relegated to the realm of functional necessity. But what if we told you that a well-designed menu could be the difference between an ordinary dining experience and an extraordinary culinary journey?

"A coherent menu that suggests that the restaurant has some clear vision of what it is offering," is important, Hayler, who has seen dozens of different formats, argued. "For example, a restaurant that offered (to take an extreme case) pasta, sushi and curry dishes would be a warning sign. Similarly, very long menus with dozens of choices suggest that it is unlikely to have prepared its food fresh."

On the other hand, should you notice a list of suppliers on the menu, know that you might be in good hands (at least when it comes to food, that is). "A menu that makes a point of listing specific suppliers (for example, of meat, fish or vegetables), suggests a place that is proud of the produce that it is serving," Hayler said.

And while a poorly-made menu shouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker, it's a good place to start looking for those 'green flags.' "In addition to menu length and coherence, a menu that is clearly written and gives some indication of the garnishes will give you a better idea of what to expect than a menu that has one-word descriptions like 'asparagus, mullet, chocolate'," he explained, noting that a typo is not acceptable. "If they cannot be bothered to use a spell-checker, what else are they not bothered about?"

"A menu is the guest’s first impression, so if it’s crumpled or stained, it portends a negative outcome for the rest of the experience," Adam Reiner, the founder of The Restaurant Manifesto blog, told Bored Panda in an email. According to him, no matter if you're at Le Bernardin or a classy no-name restaurant downtown, self-respecting eateries should treat their menus "with the respect and care they deserve" since it often becomes a make-or-break factor for patrons who arrive without any prior knowledge or expectations.

All of the aforementioned telltale signs are not fool-proof, of course. "Well-funded restaurants have experienced marketers writing appealing menus," he claimed, noting that most restaurants spend money on influencers to get those shiny reviews.

Of course, what good does a neat menu bring if it rests on a sloppy table? "It’s never a good sign when you sit down at your table and find cutlery askew or glassware with smudges," Reiner explained, noting sporting these red flags can mean nothing good. "At well-run restaurants, the staff is issued highly regimented side-work that dictates the proper way to set the dining room. Sloppy table settings suggest a lack of discipline behind the scenes that will likely show up in other areas."

Restaurants that meticulously embrace the beauty of seasonality, on the other hand, show an unwavering dedication to culinary integrity. And thus should be appreciated accordingly. "Use of seasonal ingredients is a strong indicator for me," Hayler said. "A European restaurant that offers (say) asparagus in October or strawberries in January would be a major warning sign. Whatever the level or price point, a restaurant should generally be using seasonal ingredients."

In most cases, Hayler claims, a focused and clean menu should help seal the deal. As his recent experience in an Indian restaurant, located on the outskirts of London, proved to him. "It was quite new and was a small place somewhat off the beaten track, so it had limited online reviews, but those it had were very positive," he claimed.

What stood out the most, Hayler admitted, was the menu's emphasis on a specific regional cuisine from India, with a chef hailing from the southern part of the country. "It had seasonal Alphonso mangoes on the menu, which only appear in the spring, suggesting that there was attention paid to seasonality."

Ultimately, dining out should be an enjoyable experience, offering an opportunity to venture beyond our usual Nando's and Olive Gardens. Of course, it's safe to say that even if a restaurant doesn't meet the aforementioned criteria or is stained by a couple of 1-star reviews, it shouldn't mean that you should not give it a chance. As a recent New York Times report showed, it might be the case of false reviews which are tricky to get rid of.

Still, if there is a green flag you should take to heart the next time you head for impromptu dinner, Reiner says, it must be the first impression. "Nothing sets the tone for a great dining experience better than a warm welcome. Walking into a restaurant should feel like being a guest in someone’s home," he explained, adding that nothing good can come out of a place which makes their guests wait unwelcomed.