Editorial transparency

How we pick

Why some restaurants appear in Dubai's recs and others don't. Published so it's clear we're not pay-to-play.

Six criteria

1. 1. Quality. The food is unambiguously good. Two in-person visits by editorial in the last 12 months — we don't pick from press kits or social-media buzz.
2. 2. Distinctiveness. The restaurant does one thing nowhere else in the city does as well. We try not to pick two of the same kind.
3. 3. Owner-operator preferred. Single-location independents come first. Small chains (3-5 locations) considered case-by-case. No franchises.
4. 4. Longevity signal. At least 12 months in operation, OR a pedigreed chef opening their first solo concept.
5. 5. Geographic balance. 8-12 picks per city, spread across neighbourhoods, price points, cuisines. No three Italian spots.
6. 6. Operational fit. The restaurant can deliver well (or has reliable collection), the kitchen can handle volume, the team uses the dashboard without friction.

Cadence

Quarterly drops — first Tuesday of January, April, July, October. Past picks stay listed as “Past favourites,” never deleted.

What we don't do

• No money-for-placement.Restaurants can't pay to be picked. Sponsored placements (Phase 9+) will be clearly labelled as advertising.
• No reciprocal pick-trading. Picks are editorial — not a quid-pro-quo.
• No surface-level “best of” lists. Every pick has a named curator + a real editorial intro. That's the standard.

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