About The Good Food Guide How The Good Food Guide is compiled
The Good Food Guide is the UK’s leading restaurant guide and has been published since 1951.
Started by the famous social commentator Raymond Postgate, the Guide was set up to champion good dining for consumers. It has always been founded on independence and integrity; it does not have advertising and every inspection is paid for and conducted anonymously.
The long-list for potential entries is created by feedback from thousands of members of the public. We collect their thoughts and recommendations throughout the year, via our restaurant feedback and nomination form. The Good Food Guide team will then assess the recommendations and create a list of potential inclusions.
The Guide has a team of anonymous inspectors across the UK. They inspect establishments by eating at the restaurant like any other consumer; they never announce who they are, and they may attend individually or in groups, at lunch or at dinner, any day of the week.
Some restaurants will appear in the Guide regularly, but they must earn their place every year. Restaurants cannot elect or pay to be included, and they have no input on their score or review. The Good Food Guide is compiled and written from scratch every year; so there are always new entries, changes of score and deletions.
How the scoring works
Restaurants are given a score from 1 to 10. The scoring is based on detailed bench-marking and is designed to be as fair as possible. It relates to food quality, not service or atmosphere. This is because, although we know the whole restaurant experience is very important, service is much more variable than the kitchen’s ability to cook to a consistently good level. When looking at scores, remember that a 1 out of 10 is still a significant achievement.
| Good Food Guide scores explained | |
|---|---|
| Score | Explanation |
| 1/10 | Capable cooking, with simple food combinations and clear flavours, but some inconsistencies. |
| 2/10 | Decent cooking, displaying good basic technical skills and interesting combinations and flavours. Occasional inconsistencies. |
| 3/10 | Good cooking, showing sound technical skills and using quality ingredients. |
| 4/10 | Dedicated, focused approach to cooking; good classical skills and high-quality ingredients. |
| 5/10 | Exact cooking techniques and a degree of ambition; showing balance and depth of flavour in dishes, while using quality ingredients. |
| 6/10 | Exemplary cooking skills, innovative ideas, impeccable ingredients and an element of excitement. |
| 7/10 | High level of ambition and individuality, attention to the smallest detail, accurate and vibrant dishes. |
| 8/10 | A kitchen cooking close to or at the top of its game – highly individual, showing faultless technique and impressive artistry in dishes that are perfectly balanced for flavour, combination and texture. There is little room for disappointment here. |
| 9/10 | This mark is for cooking that has reached a pinnacle of achievement, making it a hugely memorable experience for the diner. |
| 10/10 | It is extremely rare that a restaurant can achieve perfect dishes on a consistent basis. |
