The Good Food Guide

The Guide covers a broad range of dining, from neighborhood restaurants and pubs to ambitious tasting-menu destinations. Its current main rating labels are Good, Very Good, Exceptional and World Class. Local Gem and Readers Recommend are additional designations. The annual Best Local Restaurants campaign begins with reader nominations, followed by inspections and editorial decisions. Its numbered 2026 selection is not the same thing as a restaurant's general Guide rating.

Explore restaurant recommendations and annual lists with the rating system and each campaign's purpose made clear.

The Good Food Guide describes a 75-year history in 2026. Its current digital guide includes more than 1,200 restaurant reviews and specialist lists. Its breadth includes everyday local dining as well as destination meals.

The published rating framework considers uniqueness, deliciousness, warmth and strength of recommendation. Inspectors visit anonymously and pay for their meals. In Best Local Restaurants, reader nominations supply leads and editors make the final selection after inspection reports. The rank in an annual campaign should not be translated into a numeric food score.

The Guide combines professional assessment with detailed accounts of the meal and setting. For diners, the distinction between a rating, a local designation and an annual list position helps explain what a particular recognition says.