Every score on this site is earned the same way: Peter books like a normal guest and eats like a normal guest, then writes from his own experience. Every recommendation on this site is a place he genuinely loves — and that will never change.
Each visit is scored on four pillars. Food weighs heaviest — but a great evening is more than what's on the plate, so service, atmosphere and honest pricing all count.
The heart of the score.
Hospitality you feel, not a script.
Would you want to stay for one more glass?
Fair is fair — at every price point.
A destination in itself. Worth crossing Portugal for — and a serious candidate for the top of the HOTSPOTS 100.
Among the very best in the country. Book ahead; you'll be telling friends about it.
A true hotspot — the level every review on this site starts from. You will not be disappointed.
A reliable recommendation with a few rough edges. I say exactly which ones.
I don't publish take-downs. If a place doesn't reach hotspot level, it simply doesn't appear — I'd rather spend the pages on places worth your evening.
Like any guest. No announcement, no press table, no chef warned in advance.
Multiple dishes across the menu, photographed at the table — what you see is what was served.
Always. 100% of visits, since day one. The receipt stays in my archive.
The review goes live unseen by the restaurant — they don't see the text or the score before it's public. Scores aren't forever — I revisit, and scores can move up or down.
Restaurants cannot pay for a review, a score, or a place in the HOTSPOTS 100. Not directly, not through an agency, not "just this once".
I pay for every meal myself and decline every invitation, tasting offer or comped dish. If a kitchen sends something unasked, it's noted and excluded from the score.
Advertising on this site and in the magazine is sold by a separate team, is always labelled, and never appears inside reviews. Advertisers never see content before publication — and neither does the restaurant being reviewed. They find out their score the same moment you do.
Partnerships that do exist — clearly labelled brand collaborations, event sponsors, distribution partners — never touch the review pages, the scores, or the ranking. Other revenue exists; the ranking is not for sale. That separation is the whole business model: my only client is the reader.