Confidential Guides
We’re guessing you’re here because you’re looking for somewhere to eat. Good, because this is Confidential Guides and we’re here to help.
Why did we create Confidential Guides?
Aside from providing a handy resource for our readers, there’s another key motive behind Confidential Guides. Over the last few years, we’ve grown tired of being underrepresented in nearly all major restaurant guides. Northern restaurants are, it seems, an afterthought; a bit of a chore and an accessory to the usual London love-in. And that just won’t do. This region has some of the best produce, talent and passion not only in the UK but in Europe – sod it, the whole bloody world. So if they’re not going to do it, we will. And do it better.
Why should you listen to us?
You might know our parent site, confidentials.com. Founded in 2003, it’s now one of the North’s leading digital lifestyle magazines; drawing millions of annual visitors with quality local content on everything from arts to architecture, politics to pavements (don’t ask) and of course first-class food and drink coverage. With chef interviews, new openings, impartial restaurant reviews and more besides, our finger is firmly on the region’s culinary pulse.
That’s why we founded Confidential Guides in 2018, as a handy resource that pools our collective knowledge to help readers choose where to spend there their hard-earned smackeroonies. It began with our Top 100, a hotlist of top-notch restaurants across the North, and has since expanded to include more expansive venue directories; beginning with the North West, and with plans to ultimately cover the wider North. From fine dining favourites to humble backstreet gems, there’s something for every budget and occasion.
How do we choose which restaurants to include?
- This directory does not intend to be exhaustive. We only include venues we believe provide a quality experience. Inclusion is based on the knowledge of our passionate local food writers – and the directory is constantly growing.
- We also value our readers’ opinions. If there’s somewhere you think we’ve missed, let us know and we’ll check it out (permanent venues only, no pop-ups)
- Our main requirement is first-rate food but we may also include venues that we think offer an enjoyable experience in other ways; for example through great entertainment
- While we think our (fully paid for and unbiased) reviews on Confidentials.com are incredibly important, sometimes they don’t reflect the true picture; for instance, the kitchen may have had a uniquely bad day when our reviewer visited. If we believe this is the case, and it is rare, we will include the venue regardless of an unfavourable review
- Reviews will also inevitably become outdated; staff, concepts, locations and even names are just some of the elements that can change. Needless to say, older reviews should be taken with a pinch of salt – they still make for cracking reads though. All practical details were correct at the time of writing
We hope you find the guide useful and we welcome your feedback.
Yours,
The Confidential Guides team.
