Launched in 2018 by Rich Skrenta, a search veteran with several startups behind him, the restaurant app relies on data and expert reviews, rather than user reviews to deliver a kind of curated, foodie-insider experience.

Tobiko uses referenced content available on the internet to offer restaurant recommendations and opinions.

It also uses third party editorial content.

Furthermore, the app is seeking to build a community, and user input will likely factor into recommendations at some point.

While Skrenta is taking something of a philosophical stand in avoiding user reviews, his approach also made the app easier to launch because expert content on third-party sites already existed.

Community content takes much longer to reach a critical mass. However, Tobiko could also have presented or “summarized” user reviews from third-party sites as Google does in knowledge panels, with TripAdvisor or Facebook for example.

However, what’s interesting is that Skrenta has shunned user reviews in favor of “trusted expert reviews”, commonly named foodies critics.

Those expert reviews are represented by a range of publisher logos on profile pages that, when clicked, take the user to reviews or articles about the particular restaurant on those sites.

Where available, users can also book reservations. And the app can be personalized by engaging a menu of preferences.

Tobiko is free and currently appears to have no ads. The company also offers a subscription-based option that has additional features.

Why do we need to observe Tobiko and keep an eye on it?

Tobiko is provocatively challenging conventional wisdom about the importance of user reviews in the restaurant vertical, although reading lots of expert reviews can be burdensome.

As they have gained importance, reviews have become somewhat less reliable, with review fraud on the rise. Last month, Google disclosed an algorithm change that has resulted in a sharp decrease in rich review results showing in Search.

It would be inaccurate to say there’s widespread “review fatigue”. Influencer marketing can be seen as an interesting hybrid between user and expert reviews, though it’s also susceptible to manipulation.

It’s too early to tell if Tobiko will succeed. Putting aside gamesmanship and fraud, reviews have brought transparency to online shopping but can also make purchase decisions more time-consuming.

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