A memorable meal usually starts before you sit down: at a market stall, in a bakery queue or with a recommendation offered without ceremony.
Look for confidence, not choice
Short menus tend to know what they are doing. Notice what nearby tables order, ask what is seasonal and accept that the best thing may not be the thing you expected.
Eat when the town eats. A quiet room at the wrong hour tells you less than a full one at the right time.
The point is not to eat like a local. It is to pay attention like one.