These Terms of Service govern your use of FINEST, published by Certus SPV SLU (Spain). By using this site you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, do not use FINEST.
1. The service
FINEST is a restaurant intelligence platform and editorial magazine covering Spanish gastronomy. It publishes an independent weekly ranking (the FINEST 100), editorial content (cover stories, dispatches, long reads, weekly reports), and market data on restaurant scores, movements and people.
During the pre-launch period (until April 2027), FINEST offers only a waitlist sign-up. The full platform is not yet live.
2. Editorial independence
The FINEST ranking is editorially independent. No restaurant, chef, winery, hotel, public relations agency or any other commercial entity pays to be included, ranked higher, excluded, or reviewed. This independence is structural: the scoring methodology is public, sources are cited, and changes to the methodology are announced.
FINEST pays for its own meals when visiting restaurants. When a meal is comped or offered as a press trip, this is disclosed on the relevant page with date and context. Disclosure does not affect the score.
Criticism in editorial content constitutes opinion and analysis protected as free expression. Factual claims about a business are sourced and verifiable. If you believe a factual claim is in error, contact [email protected].
3. User accounts and the FINEST Club (Phase 3)
User accounts and the FINEST Club (Insiders, Contributors, Founders tiers) are not yet available. These terms apply from Phase 3 launch.
Tier admission: Club tier admission is by invitation or application. FINEST reserves the right to admit or decline any applicant without obligation to state a reason, subject to these terms and applicable non-discrimination law. Paid tiers (where applicable in future) will have separate subscription terms.
Tier removal: FINEST may downgrade or remove a Club tier if a member violates these terms, submits false or fabricated reviews, engages in coordinated manipulation of scores, or brings the editorial reputation of FINEST into disrepute. You will be notified and given 14 days to respond before any action that removes access.
4. User-generated content and review ownership (Phase 3+)
When the review submission feature launches (Phase 3), the following applies:
- You retain ownership of reviews and editorial content you submit under your name.
- By submitting, you grant Certus SPV SLU a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to publish, display, translate and excerpt your review on FINEST and in the FINEST newsletter.
- Reviews must be based on personal experience at the restaurant within the last 24 months. Fabricated or paid-for reviews will be removed and the submitting account suspended.
- You may request removal of your review at any time. Removal of a review may affect the restaurant's score on next recompute.
- Reviews by FINEST Club Contributors (ruby tier) may be published as editorial content. The byline will clearly identify the author and their Club affiliation.
5. Dispute process
Score disputes (restaurants and chefs): If you represent a restaurant or chef listed on FINEST and believe a score or factual claim is in error, submit a dispute via [email protected] with supporting evidence. We will acknowledge within 5 business days and respond within 30 days.
Disputes about editorial opinion (as distinct from factual claims) will be considered but FINEST is not obligated to alter editorial positions. Score disputes require evidence of factual error in source data, not disagreement with the methodology.
Content takedown: For requests under copyright, right of erasure (RGPD), or other legal grounds, contact [email protected]. Fraudulent takedown requests may be reported to relevant authorities.
6. Prohibited conduct
You may not:
- Submit false, fabricated or paid-for reviews.
- Coordinate with others to manipulate scores or review counts.
- Impersonate a chef, critic, or other person in reviews or Club submissions.
- Scrape FINEST data for commercial redistribution without a data licence.
- Use FINEST content for training AI/ML models without written permission.
- Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of FINEST infrastructure.
- Use FINEST in a way that violates applicable law.
7. Intellectual property
All editorial content (text, photography, design, scores, index data) is copyright Certus SPV SLU unless attributed to a third party. The FINEST wordmark, logotype and brand assets may not be reproduced without written permission.
Score data and index movements are factual records and may be cited with attribution ("Source: FINEST, [date]") in editorial and academic contexts. Commercial redistribution requires a data licence — contact [email protected].
8. Disclaimers and limitation of liability
FINEST scores and rankings represent editorial opinion based on the methodology published at finest.press/methodology. They are not legal, health, or safety certifications and should not be relied upon as such.
FINEST is provided "as is." To the extent permitted by law, Certus SPV SLU is not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from use of the platform, including changes to a restaurant's score.
9. Governing law and jurisdiction
These terms are governed by Spanish law. Disputes are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Spain. If you are a consumer in the EU, you retain the protections of your local consumer law.
10. Changes to these terms
We will notify waitlist subscribers of material changes. Continued use of FINEST after changes are notified constitutes acceptance. If you object to a material change, you may close your account (when accounts are available) or discontinue use.
11. Contact
General: [email protected]
Editorial: [email protected]
Legal: [email protected]
Certus SPV SLU · Spain