Restaurant diary apps: keep a record of every meal
A diary isn't a ranking. It's the meal, the date, who you were with and whether you'd order it again.
Glütty · 14 October 2026
Tracking apps answer "where have I been?". A diary answers "what was that night like?". If you want the second, look for dates, notes, photos and dish-level detail, not leaderboards.
What a good restaurant diary needs
A date on every entry. Space for the dishes, not just the place. A rating you can set in two seconds, or you'll stop doing it. And search, so the diary actually helps the next time someone asks you where you had that thing.
| Option | Dates | Dishes | Photos | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glütty | Yes, each visit | Yes, rated one by one | Dish pictures generated from the menu | Low, it builds from your scan |
| Beli | Yes | Favourite dishes and notes | Yes, your own | Medium, ranking each place |
| Mapstr | Not the focus | In comments | Yes | Low |
| Notes app or camera roll | Yes | If you type them | Yes | Grows over time |
Beli
Lets you add notes and favourite dishes to each place you rank, and shows a taste profile built from your history.
- Best for:
- A diary with a social side.
- Watch out:
- Every entry needs a ranking step.
- Platforms:
- iPhone, Android
- Price:
- Free with in-app purchases
Glütty
Scan, upload or paste a link to any menu. Every dish is translated into your language, explained in plain words, and can be shown as a picture. Members also get a match score for each dish based on their own taste profile, plus dietary flags.
- Best for:
- A diary that writes itself from the menu you scanned: restaurant, area, date, and every dish with your rating.
- Watch out:
- Visits are saved when you complete a meal in Glütty, so meals you didn't scan won't show up.
- Platforms:
- Web app, works in any phone browser
- Price:
- Free tier; membership £8.99/month
Your camera roll
The diary most people already keep without meaning to.
- Best for:
- Free, private, and already there.
- Watch out:
- Photos don't tell you the dish name, the price or whether you liked it.
- Platforms:
- Any phone
- Price:
- Free
Our steer
If you eat out often and forget the details, use something that records dishes, not just places. Pair it with a list of places to try and you have both halves of the diary.
