TikTok is going after Yelp and Google Maps with an in-app restaurant guide

A guide built from TikTok

Must Eat collects dining posts, reviews and comments to create recommendations for local restaurants. Restaurant pages also link to TikTok videos about each business. At a launch event, TikTok US CEO Adam Presser described it as a gathering of conversations among creators, restaurateurs and people posting about local restaurants. The company says the guide draws on 40 million pieces of content and feedback.

Search, sort and book

The guide has two categories: “everyday eats” and “elevated dining.” Users can filter results by rating, distance, cuisine and whether a restaurant is open, then bookmark places for later. Users can also leave reviews, call restaurants and make reservations. The feature is initially available in New York City, Los Angeles and the Bay Area, and TikTok says restaurants cannot pay to appear in its recommendation lists.

A growing role in dining

Featured New York restaurants include Golden Diner, known for its viral pancakes, and reservation-demanding spots Semma and Via Carota. Must Eat combines broad user contributions with curated recommendations, placing it between Yelp and publications such as The Infatuation.

TikTok previously introduced TikTok Go, which lets creators tag and link to hotels and attractions that users can book through the app. The company says 27 million US diners visited a restaurant, cafe or shop for the first time because of TikTok last year.