METHODOLOGY
How the FINEST score is calculated
The 0-100 number that ranks restaurants — explained component by component.
v2.3 In effect since 1 April 2026 · View changelog → · Leer en español →
The formula
Each restaurant receives a composite score calculated as a weighted sum of four independent components. The formula is deterministic and reproducible: given the same data, the score is always the same.
Score v2.3
Weighted sum of four independent components
The example uses Disfrutar as the reference restaurant. Actual data is updated weekly.
The score is expressed to one decimal place (format XX.X) and
only published when the Critics component has at least one rating.
Without a critical signal, there is no FINEST score.
Sources we index
Each score component draws from specific sources with declared weights and refresh cadences. The full table:
How critics enter the score
The Critics component (40%) captures ratings from a panel of accredited critics with declared publication outlets and known track records.
- Base weight: each critic enters at weight 1.0. Relative weighting can be adjusted editorially (documented in the changelog).
- Numeric reviews: normalised to a 0-100 scale according to each publication's original scale.
- Textual reviews: a 6-level sentiment table is applied (enthusiasm → very positive → positive → correct → negative → very negative) with values 90 / 85 / 75 / 65 / 50 / 40.
- Time window: reviews older than 3 years receive a decay factor of 0.85 per additional year.
Critics are mandatory. A restaurant with no critic review receives no FINEST score, regardless of how many distinctions or public ratings it has.
Conflicts of interest and editorial policy
FINEST covers all expenses for its critics and contributors. No restaurant, agency, or sponsor can influence the score. Presence in the registry has no economic component.
Interest declarations: any panel critic with a personal, family, or commercial relationship with a restaurant must declare it before publishing. That review is excluded from the calculation or weighted at 0.
Advertising: ranking pages carry no advertising. The project's sustainability rests on Club membership, magazine subscriptions, and editorial agreements that carry no influence over scores.
Excluded restaurants
A restaurant is excluded from the public catalog when any of these conditions applies:
- Composite score below 65 points.
- No accredited critic review on file.
- Tasting menu price below €50 per person.
- Permanently closed.
- Active dispute procedure that temporarily suspends the score.
Restaurants excluded for score remain in the internal registry and are re-evaluated each weekly cycle. Permanently closed restaurants are archived.
How it updates
The calculated_at field in each score indicates the exact
timestamp of the last calculation. All timestamps are in UTC.
Live example: Disfrutar
The breakdown below is calculated in real time from the restaurant's current data. This is how the audit trail works for any restaurant in the catalog.
Score unavailable
This restaurant does not yet have enough data to calculate its FINEST score.
You can query the breakdown for any restaurant at /api/methodology/score/[slug].json. The response is public
and cached for 1 hour.
Version and changelog
Every methodology change is documented publicly before taking effect. Substantive changes (weights, sources) are announced at least two weeks in advance.
Version history
Every methodology change is documented and archived here.
Public exposure of the four score components — per-restaurant audit trail.
- New public decomposition: Critics 40%, Distinctions 30%, Social signals 20%, History 10%.
- API /api/methodology/score/[slug].json for per-restaurant audit.
- Confidence interval published based on source count and recency.
- Methodology page rewritten with live formula and Disfrutar worked example.
Incorporation of La Liste as a Distinctions source. Social platform weight adjustment.
- La Liste added to Distinctions calculation (direct 0-100 passthrough).
- TripAdvisor reduced to 20% internal (was 25%). FINEST users increased to 15%.
Null-layer redistribution policy published publicly.
- Formal publication of the redistribution table when a layer lacks data.
- Google Maps minimum threshold reduced to 50 (was 100).
Correction window
Within 72 hours of each publication, restaurant managers may submit factual evidence of data errors — not opinions on the score — to redaccion@finest.press with subject: "Factual correction — [restaurant name]".
The editorial panel reviews within 48 hours. If the evidence is verifiable and documents a data error, the score is corrected and the correction published in the next weekly report. Scores are not negotiated under pressure of any kind.
Frequently asked questions
- How is the FINEST score calculated?
- The v2.3 score is a weighted sum of four components: Critics 40%, Distinctions (guides) 30%, Social signals 20%, and History 10%. Each component is normalised to a 0-100 scale before weighting.
- What is the difference between 'Critics' and 'Distinctions'?
- Critics captures textual and numeric reviews from accredited critics with known publication outlets. Distinctions captures institutional guide recognitions (Michelin, Repsol, OAD, 50 Best), converted via a fixed table. Both signals are independent and weighted separately.
- Can a restaurant pay to improve its score?
- No. FINEST is strictly independent. No restaurant, PR agency, or sponsor influences scores. FINEST pays for all its own visits.
- How often is the ranking updated?
- Scores are recalculated weekly and published every Monday before 12:00 CET. RSS signals are indexed continuously.
- What does the confidence interval mean?
- The confidence interval (±X pts) indicates the statistical uncertainty of the score based on the number of sources and their recency. A wide interval means few recent clips; a narrow interval means high recent coverage.
- What is the minimum score to appear in FINEST?
- A restaurant must have at least one critic review and a composite score of 65 or above to appear in the public FINEST catalog.
- How can I report a data error?
- Within 72 hours of each publication, restaurant managers can submit factual evidence of data errors (not opinions on the score) to redaccion@finest.press with subject: 'Factual correction — [restaurant name]'. The editorial panel reviews within 48 hours.