Our team of writers and editors dines out almost every day, all in the interest of helping you decide where to eat and drink. We don’t have googly eyes for chefs or the quality of food alone. Instead we balance both food and overall experience in a ratings system that ranks spots in order, like favorite children. The Infatuation way is to rank restaurants from 1-10, with decimals to create more room for differentiation.
That said, we understand it can be tricky to decipher the real difference between a 7-something and an 8-something, so we’ve laid it out for you below. The scale ensures consistency from critic to critic, but we’d like to remind you that at the end of all the research and writing, ratings reflect our personal opinions. It’s actually quite simple. Like love. Or politics.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We have personally checked out every establishment you read about on The Infatuation. (Except for the places in our Openings guides, which are directories of all the new spots that look promising.) If a restaurant doesn’t have a rating yet, we intend to visit again to try more dishes and gauge consistency.
Like we said, if it’s on the site, we’ve vetted it. But we only rate places where you could eat what we like to call “a proper meal.” A cappuccino or an ice cream cone might make your day, but we need a few more food groups in the mix to make a fair ratings call.
We like to say “7s are good and 8s are great.” And most restaurants out there are good or great. That said, if a place is a waste of your time and money, we’re not shy about telling you.
No. We do not allocate a certain number of points for service, food, or lovely light fixtures, because rating is an art not a science. We can’t draw direct comparisons between casual, counter service spots and upscale tasting menu restaurants. But we can focus on the end result—how much we like them. Maybe they’re both an 8.8, even though one has crushed velvet wallpaper and the other is a food truck.
None
Unrated
Restaurants we want to re-visit before assigning a rating. We only rate spots where you can eat a full meal. We won’t rate a coffee shop, bar or dessert shop.
1-5
Not Recommended
Anything below a 5.9 means you’re starting to have some major problems. Something is wrong and you’ll probably be disappointed.
6s
It’s Fine
6s can get the job done (depending on the job). There’s a strong ‘BUT’ or caveat as to why this place is acceptable, but not a first choice.
7s
Pretty Good
You’ll very likely be satisfied by a meal here, especially for a specific situation. 7s can be handy back-up restaurants or beloved local spots.
8s
Truly Excellent
An 8 should be on your must-try list, because 8s are great. These spots are worth making an effort or crossing town for.
9s
Best Of The Best
These are as close to perfect as restaurants get. Whether they’re counter-service or fancy schmancy, we’re confident you’ll love them.
10
Perfect
We haven’t found one yet. You’ll know about it if we do.