"Zagat.com" news and stories

When I first heard about Zagat.com, I was a hesitant. After all, there are numerous free restaurant reviews on the web, and the idea of paying for such a service seemed a little silly. After a little thought, however, I reconsidered. After all, we're talking about Zagat, the top restaurant guide, which has yet to fail me; the same, unfortunately, cannot be said of City Search.

To be honest, the site is pretty amazing. Like the restaurant guides, it organizes its reviews based on location, price, cuisine, and several other considerations. Moreover, it also offers reviews of hotels, nightspots, and attractions, basically applying the Zagat experience to almost every aspect of city tourism. Even better, for people who live in cities that aren't covered by the guides, it includes user reviews of hundreds of local eateries.

Of course, there's still the cost. Zagat charges $4.95 per month or $24.95 per year for premium membership. At first, this seemed a little high, but then I did a little math: the basic Zagat guides retail for around $15 apiece. For less than $25 per year, the online site gives its users ALL the guides, as well as a variety of other services. Best of all, the site can also be accessed from mobile phones, making it possible for users to enjoy their Zagat without having to tote around the unwieldy books.