Since the explosion of social media, people have been aided and often bombarded with restaurant reviews and tips on where to best eat.

But with platforms like TikTok now free for everyone and anyone being able to make recommendations, a new trend has emerged of “love bomb” restaurants receiving positive reviews – but they’re not always accurate.

According to diners, unwitting tourists are being deceived by a series of positive restaurant reviews that are overinflated and actually concocted to attract thrill seekers and keep them miles away from the real hotspots.

One focus of the fake reviews is Angus Steakhouse, a chain of steakhouses scattered across London – a well-known staple among locals – and it’s unlikely to feature a new Taylor Swift-inspired ‘Swiftloin steak sandwich’, as some have claimed not possible.

Loyalists and influencers have infiltrated the internet and X, reddit and even Travel Advisor writing comments that seem grossly exaggerated.

A malicious trend has emerged where diners and influencers are ‘lovebombing’ restaurants with fake reviews to keep their preferred hot spots free (Stock image)

‘They have the BEST steak sandwiches!’ said one person on Reddit.

Responding to this comment, another added: ‘And Taylor Swift… New menu item just dropped! Swiftloin steak sandwich.

One user also jokingly said: ‘I’ve been a vegetarian for over 15 years, but even I can’t resist Angus Steakhouse’s steak sandwiches.’

‘I was once on a hunger strike. I survived for 56 days, but it was the steak sandwich that broke my resistance. ‘I’m a nutritionist now and I always recommend this holy Stakehouse-centric Carnivore diet,’ wrote another.

‘Angus Steakhouse is on my wish list for the last meal I eat. An absolutely extraordinary place. I hope the tourists don’t find out about this,’ said another person.

A look at the more than 5,000 Angus Steakhouse reviews on Trip Advisor reveals a similar picture.

Alleged tasters of the charbroiled menu took to the website to brag about the ‘very good’ menu.

‘It was very good and the staff were very friendly, I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good steak.’ said someone.

One current victim is Angus Steakhouse, a chain of steak restaurants scattered across London, which Reddit users claimed featured a Taylor-Swift-inspired steak sandwich (Stock image)

It seems loyalists and influencers have infiltrated the internet with grossly exaggerated positive reviews

Reviews of Angus Steakhouse on Trip Advisor are generally positive

Reactions to X were mixed, with some branding the strategy ‘cruel’

Another wrote: ‘Very, Very good. Food and service Excellent. Prices were very competitive and not outlandish. Thank you for the experience’.

‘Right on point!’ started another. ‘American filet with green beans and salad. It was cooked perfectly and the service was excellent. Excellent location to W hotel. Minutes away. Or I’ll go see a play.

Of course, these assessments may be true, but some people do not think so.

One user on X went a step further and gave directions to a branch of the famous Steakhouse: ‘Go there at Victoria station,’ he wrote.

Others noticed the trick right away, while others noted that they noticed something was wrong but couldn’t come to a full conclusion about it.

‘I was wondering what was going on,’ said one woman, who had apparently come across many of the Steakhouse’s 5-star reviews.

Another wrote: ‘Stop snitching’, while another added: ‘This seems cruel to be honest.’

However, Eater reporter Jaya Saxena said: thriller writer that the strategy is not perfect and is not guaranteed to work.

‘I think the biggest hurdle might be that sites like Yelp and Google have moderators who keep an eye on review bombs, both positive and negative. So if a restaurant suddenly starts getting hundreds of good reviews at once, that could trigger suspicion,” Jaya said.

‘It might be on Reddit, because the replies to any thread asking about steakhouses can appear to be legit replies. But at the same time, since this is probably already circulating on social media and you’ve written about it, I imagine anyone looking at Angus will be able to see this information and second-guess the reviews.

MailOnline has contacted Angus Steakhouse for comment.