The credibility of restaurant criticism depends entirely on independence. Readers visit restaurants with their own hard-earned money; our reviewers do exactly the same.
1. Paid in Full, Always
Every meal reviewed by WhereToEatNow is paid for in full by our publications. We do not accept comped meals, free drinks, media discounts, or gift bags from restaurants, chefs, or PR agencies.
2. Anonymous Visits
Our reviewers visit restaurants anonymously as standard diners. We make reservations under aliases whenever possible and do not alert restaurants in advance of our visits.
3. Objective Scoring Breakdown
Our overall ratings on a 10-point scale are grounded in four sub-scores:
- Food (40%): Flavor, technique, ingredient quality, execution, consistency.
- Service (20%): Hospitality, attentiveness, pacing, warmth.
- Value (20%): Portion size, quality-to-price ratio, honesty.
- Room (20%): Atmosphere, acoustics, seating comfort, cleanliness.
4. Advertising Separation
Display advertising hosted on this site via Google AdSense has no bearing on our reviews or rankings. Advertisers have no input into our ratings, rankings, or coverage decisions.