How to keep a shared restaurant list with your partner or friends
An honest look at the usual options, and what makes a shared list actually get used.
Most people already keep a “places to try” list. The trouble is that it's usually their list: half in a notes app, half in saved Instagram posts, with a few screenshots on top. Your partner or friends have their own, and none of them meet when it's time to choose.
The usual options
| Option | Good at | Falls short |
|---|---|---|
| Shared note (Notes, Google Keep) | Free, instant, everyone can edit | Just text: no photos, hours or map, and it gets messy fast |
| Google Maps saved lists | Places on a map, with hours and directions, and lists can be shared | Built for one person saving places; no way to rate a place together afterwards |
| Instagram or TikTok saves | Easy to save while you scroll | Private to you, mixed with everything else you saved, and hard to search later |
| A spreadsheet | Sortable and endlessly customizable | Nobody opens a spreadsheet on a Friday night |
| Crave | One private list per group, saves from Maps, group ratings and a random pick | iPhone and iPad only for now |
What makes a shared list actually work
- Adding takes seconds. If saving a place takes more than a couple of taps, people stop doing it.
- Everyone sees the same list. One list per group, not one per person.
- Each place says why it's there. “Ana said the dumplings are unreal” is what gets you to actually go.
- Places you've tried get a score. Otherwise you forget which ones were worth going back to.
- It helps you choose, not just collect. A list of 60 places doesn't answer “where tonight?” on its own. Filters and a random pick do.
Setting one up in Crave
In Crave, create a Cravelist (“Date night”, “Bros food tour”, “Lisbon trip”), then send the invite link to your partner or friends. Add places by searching, or from Apple Maps or Google Maps with Share → Crave. After a visit, everyone rates it from 1 to 10, and anywhere averaging 9.0 or higher earns a MUST. Only people in the list can see it.
Questions
How do I share a list of restaurants with my partner?
Use one list you can both edit: a shared note works in a pinch, but an app made for it, such as Crave, adds photos, hours, ratings from both of you and a random pick for nights you can't decide.
Can I make a shared restaurant list with friends?
Yes. In Crave you create a Cravelist and invite friends with a link or a six-letter code. Everyone can add places, and only members can see the list.
Can I save restaurants from Google Maps into a shared list?
Yes. With Crave on your iPhone, open the place in Google Maps or Apple Maps, tap Share, then Crave, pick a list and save.
Free on iPhone and iPad. One shared list, scores from people you trust, and The Spin for when nobody can decide.