From the Brooklyn Heights Blog’s review of a new Georgian restaurant called Chama Mama (original, archived):
Apologies for no photos of the food, but Chama Mama does a much better job showcasing their dishes, as you can see in their Instagram feed.
Mary Kim for the Brooklyn Heights Blog
A restaurant reviewer is supposed to provide an impartial take on a restaurant. One reason reviewers often include their own photos of dishes is to show readers what the food actually looks like (see my effort to show the good and bad in one anime review instead of relying on promotional screen captures). When a restaurant puts pictures of food in Instagram, it is choosing photos that will make the restaurant look as appealing as possible. This is not to say that the restaurant is deceptive (I have never been to the restaurant being reviewed). But deferring to the restaurant’s social media postings for food photos discredits the impartiality of the reviewer.