Goliard

Goliard is a curated city guide and AI concierge for bars and restaurants that starts with Houston and expands to other cities one at a time. Every venue is personally vouched for in writing by a curator, accompanied by an honest note explaining why the place is worth visiting. The platform presents these selections through an AI concierge named Boswell that answers plain-language questions and recommends venues from the curated selection.

The service is built for iOS and is free to start, with a paid subscription available for full concierge access. Curation is not for sale, and venues cannot pay to be recommended or ranked higher. Some reservations earn an affiliate commission, but money never touches what is curated or how it ranks.

Boswell is the AI concierge that answers plain-language questions about where to go and recommends venues from the curated selection. Users can ask in plain language to get one confident answer, such as 'a quiet nightcap near Anvil' or 'best negroni in Montrose', drawing only on curated venues and curator notes.

The platform is built for iOS and offers a free tier to start, with a small subscription fee for the full concierge experience. There are no ads dressed as advice, and the service aims to skip the obvious tourist traps and algorithmic long-lists.

The website states that the service earns a commission on some reservations booked through partners such as OpenTable. This commission never affects what is curated or how Boswell ranks a room.

The curation process ensures that no venue, brand, or partner can pay to be recommended, ranked higher by Boswell, or added to a night's plan. This wall is the entire promise of the service.

The platform provides a 'Reserve' link for each venue along with hours, a curator line, and one photo. Users can also access The Journal for dispatches and columns, and plan a whole night using the Tabs feature.

The name Goliard refers to old slang for wandering scholar-poets who knew exactly which tavern was worth the walk. The concierge is named for James Boswell, the great chronicler of good company and better conversation.

The service is designed for people who want to skip the obvious and go straight to the good table. It suits those looking for a curated pocket guide to the best bars and restaurants in their city chosen by people who actually go.

The website mentions that the list opens shortly for early invites, and users can join by emailing the business. There is also an option to unsubscribe in one tap.

The platform includes a 'tipsiness dial' feature and allows users to save haunts. The Journal section contains dispatches and columns, while the app lets users plan tabs for a whole night.

The service operates without ads dressed as advice and focuses on presenting venues that have been personally vouched for in writing. The curator notes are honest and explain why the place is worth visiting.

The platform avoids algorithmic long-lists and tourist traps by relying on personal curation. The concierge draws only on curated venues and curator notes to provide confident answers.

You can reach Goliard by e-mail at hello@goliard.app.

The official website of Goliard is goliard.app.