Trust & policy

How Fork & Flag Scores a Food Venue

Every food venue earns a Fork & Flag Score out of 100, built from real community feedback, weighted by what matters most, and adjusted for how much evidence exists.

The Fork & Flag Score

Every food venue on Fork & Flag earns a Fork & Flag Score out of 100. It is built entirely from genuine community ratings — there is no editorial thumb on the scale and no venue can pay to lift its position.

What goes into the score

The score is a weighted blend of what matters most to a good meal. Each venue is rated by members on five things, weighted as follows:

  • Authenticity (30%) — does it represent the cuisine truthfully?
  • Food quality (30%) — how good is the food itself?
  • Recommendation (20%) — how likely members are to recommend it to a friend, on a 0–10 scale.
  • Vibe (10%) — the atmosphere and experience.
  • Value for money (10%) — what you get for what you pay.

Adjusted for how much evidence exists

A single enthusiastic rating should not outrank a venue with a long, consistent track record. So the score applies a confidence adjustment: venues with only a handful of ratings are gently pulled toward the platform average, and as more members rate a venue its own signal takes over. The more community evidence there is, the more the score reflects that venue alone.

Ranked by people who know — never by paid placement

Rankings come from trusted member ratings only. Suspicious or coordinated ratings may be excluded to protect ranking integrity, and sponsorship never moves a venue's position.