Qualifications
Food, food, food, nom, nom, nom. That's what being a restaurant critic is all about—kind of. Because, before you can write about food, you need to be able to, you know, write.
The first qualification of a restaurant critic, whether you're merely a food enthusiast or someone who's actually trying to get paid for your opinions, is that you must be able to communicate about your eating experience. A simple "The food was good" won't cut it. You need to be imaginative and descriptive; you need to be able to put your readers in your shoes, so that they'll show up at a restaurant you loved with wallets in hand, ready to taste what you tasted.
A degree in English, journalism, or communications would certainly help you become a good writer, but honestly, you could major in pretty much anything, including fields like engineering or computer science that will land you paying work right out of college (source). The important thing is to practice, practice, practice writing.
Once you know how to string a few sentences together into an entertaining review, it's time to learn about food, wine, and the restaurant industry. You can acquire this knowledge in all kinds of different ways:
- Eat out at lots of different restaurants, even ones with menus that terrify you
- Sample many a bottle of wine, so you'll know which beverage best suits which dish
- Read cookbooks
- Read the writings of the great restaurant critics
- Go to food and wine festivals
- Work at a restaurant, or become well-acquainted with people who do
Ultimately, you're looking to gather enough information so you can confidently inform your readers why some restaurants are better than others, and thus worthy of a visit.