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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the Restaurants agent skill: setup, prompts and tips

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The Restaurants skill is an add-on for an AI agent that keeps your household's food, cuisine, restaurant and drink tastes in one file, then uses that file to suggest where or what to eat. This guide is for people who have never installed an agent skill before. By the end you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to create its preferences file, and how to ask for suggestions in plain language.

Restaurants Recommenderdanielmiessler/LifeOS · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Download the ZIP. Download the Restaurants skill ZIP from this directory page.
  2. 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
  3. 3Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, open Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP.
  4. 4Create the Preferences file. Create LIFEOS/USER/CUSTOMIZATIONS/SKILLS/Restaurants/Preferences.md with your taste profile, following the Setup guide.
  5. 5Ask for a pick. Say something like where should we eat tonight, and include the location or occasion if you have one.
  6. 6Save a new favorite. Tell the agent to remember a place you liked, and check the one-line confirmation of what was added.

What the Restaurants skill makes the agent do

Once installed, the agent keeps a personal file of your household's cuisines, favorite restaurants, drinks and any dietary restrictions. When you ask where to eat, it picks one or a few places that fit that file and the occasion, explains why, and avoids anything you have marked as a dealbreaker.

You can also ask what you like, or tell the agent to remember a new favorite place, and it adds that to the file. The skill does not look up live restaurant data itself. It works from what you have recorded.

  • Recommends a place or a dish based on your saved tastes
  • Answers questions such as what beer you like
  • Records new favorite restaurants with a date, location, cuisine and notes

How to install the Restaurants skill

You can install the skill in one of two ways. Download the ZIP for the Restaurants skill from this directory page, then either unzip it into your personal skills folder or into a project's skills folder.

The personal location is ~/.claude/skills/. A project-specific location is .claude/skills/ inside that project. If you use the Claude apps instead, open Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP there.

  • Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
  • Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
  • Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP

Create the Preferences file the skill reads

The skill stores all taste data in one file, Preferences.md, under your LIFEOS USER tree. It is the source of truth, so the skill reads it before every recommendation. The skill's Setup guide describes a status check you can run to see whether the file exists yet.

The file holds a taste profile, ranked cuisines, favorite restaurants, drinks and, optionally, restrictions for companions. If the file is missing, the skill stops and points you to Setup.md rather than guessing from default tastes. Unknown details are written as TBD.

  • Location: LIFEOS/USER/CUSTOMIZATIONS/SKILLS/Restaurants/Preferences.md
  • Sections include Taste Profile, Favorite Restaurants and Drinks
  • Unknown items are marked TBD instead of guessed
test -f ~/.claude/LIFEOS/USER/CUSTOMIZATIONS/SKILLS/Restaurants/Preferences.md && echo ok

Ask for suggestions with natural requests

You do not need special commands. The skill responds to everyday wording such as where should we eat, pick a place for dinner, date night dinner, find a spot for a cuisine, or what do we like to eat. Include the place, occasion or cuisine when you can, because the answer depends on them.

To add something to your file, say things like add a favorite restaurant, remember this place, or we love this now. The agent replies with what it added so you can check it.

  • Pick a place: Where should we go for dinner tonight?
  • Find a cuisine: Find a spot for Thai near the office.
  • Date night: Date night dinner ideas that avoid heavy cream sauces.
  • Save a favorite: We tried a new place in town and loved it, add it.
  • Lookup: What beer do we like again?

Examples of how the skill responds

For a pick, the agent names one clear choice, or two or three ranked choices, each with a line tying it to your taste profile. It will not name a place that hits one of your dealbreakers.

For a lookup, the answer comes straight from the file. If a section is short or empty, the agent says so instead of filling the gap. For a new favorite, the agent adds a dated row to the Favorite Restaurants table with location, cuisine and notes.

  • Pick: one place or 2-3 ranked, each with a reason
  • Lookup: answered from the file, with TBD items flagged
  • Save: a dated row added to Favorite Restaurants, then a confirmation

What it needs, and safety notes

The skill needs a LifeOS installation with a USER directory where the Preferences file is stored, and an AI agent that can read and write local Markdown files. It does not run scripts. It does not use the network.

Because it does not use the network, it cannot check current hours, prices or menus. For a city where you have no recorded favorite, the Setup guide mentions a separate Research skill for looking up candidates. Treat that as a different tool, and check any live details yourself before you go.

  • Requires: LifeOS with a USER directory, and an agent that reads and writes Markdown
  • Runs scripts: no
  • Uses network: no
  • Keep your household's preferences in the file; the skill only writes what you tell it

Tips for better recommendations

The more specific your Preferences file is, the better the picks. Record dealbreakers clearly, such as an ingredient or dish style that is never acceptable, because the skill treats them as hard limits. Record favorite drinks by type, since the skill can answer drink questions from them.

When you travel, the skill can suggest places in new cities based on your tastes, but it cannot confirm that a place is open. Use a search or maps tool to check live details before you go.

  • Write dealbreakers explicitly
  • Keep drinks split by type, for example beer and wine
  • Add favorites after each good meal so the file stays current
  • Use a maps or search tool for live hours, prices and menus

What people use it for

  • Choosing a dinner spot on a weeknight from a household's known favorites
  • Picking a date-night restaurant that avoids a dealbreaker ingredient
  • Keeping a running record of favorite restaurants and drinks inside a LifeOS setup
  • Getting a cuisine-based suggestion for a city you are visiting, based on your saved tastes

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the Restaurants agent skill?

Download the ZIP from the directory page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.

What does the Restaurants skill require?

It requires a LifeOS installation with a USER directory where the Preferences file is stored, and an AI agent that can read and write local Markdown files. It does not run scripts and does not use the network.

Is the Restaurants skill free?

The skill is published under the MIT licence, as stated on its page. Check the licence text in the download for the exact terms.

Can the skill book a table or order delivery?

No. It is a recommender only. It has no phone or ordering function and does not book tables or order food.

Why does the skill say a detail is unknown?

It only uses the data you have saved, and it does not look up live hours, prices or menus. When something is not in the file, it marks the item as TBD rather than guessing.

What should I use instead for live restaurant details or reviews?

Use a search tool or a maps app for live hours, prices, menus and reviews. The skill's own scope excludes business search and reviews, so it is not the right tool for those.

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Our verdict

Choose this skill if your household wants consistent dinner suggestions based on known tastes, or if you want a running record of favorite restaurants and drinks inside a LifeOS setup. Pick something else if you need to book tables, order delivery, check live hours or menus, or get recipes and grocery lists, since this skill does none of those.

Download the skill