Editorial Policy

Our goal is simple: accurate, useful information that helps you decide where to eat.

How listings are compiled

We combine publicly available business information and open data from the OpenStreetMap community. Records are normalized (addresses, categories, hours, time zones), de-duplicated and checked for consistency before publication. Descriptions on listing pages are generated from each listing’s own facts – such as its hours, menu and services – so they stay factual.

Insights we calculate

Beyond the basic facts of each listing, we analyze the guide as a whole so that every page can put a place into context. These figures are calculated from the data in our guide, never typed in by hand, and each one states how many places or menus it is based on:

• The neighborhood – how many other places to eat and drink are within half a mile and one mile, the mix of cuisines nearby, the closest place of the same kind and the nearest bakery, bar or coffee shop.
• How the hours compare – a listing’s weekday opening and closing times compared with other places of the same category in the same city (or state, where a city has too few), including the share open on Sundays.
• Typical prices – median menu prices and the most common menu items for a category, calculated from 29,900 restaurant menus with millions of priced items.
• Popular times – the typical visit pattern for the category, applied to the venue’s own opening hours (or to the usual hours of similar places when a listing’s hours are not yet known).

Our cuisine guides – what to order and practical tips for each type of restaurant – are written and maintained by our editors.

Updates and corrections

Data is refreshed periodically. Business owners and visitors can send corrections through our update form; verified corrections are applied as quickly as possible.

Reviews

Reviews on listing pages are written by our visitors. Every review is checked before it is published. We remove reviews that are fake, incentivized, abusive, off-topic or that contain personal information, and we never edit a review to change its rating or meaning. Businesses cannot pay to remove or reorder reviews.

Rankings and advertising

Places are ordered by how well documented they are and by public review activity – never by payment. Advertising is clearly labelled and kept separate from listings.