The Delekta Score, Explained
Every restaurant in Delekta is rated on a 100-point critic scale built from the consensus of professional sources — Michelin, World's 50 Best, Guía Repsol, Macarfi, Time Out and dozens more. Scores update automatically as new signals arrive.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Delekta Score?
The Delekta Score is a 100-point rating that aggregates signals from professional critics, Michelin, Guía Repsol, local press, and industry guides into a single consensus number per restaurant. Scores run from 70 to 100. We don't rate anything below 70 — restaurants that don't meet our editorial standards aren't included in the guide. Every Delekta restaurant has already passed a curatorial filter, and the score tells you how much better than that minimum a place is. It recalculates automatically as new sources appear or older coverage fades.
How is the Delekta Score different from Google or TripAdvisor ratings?
Google and TripAdvisor aggregate anonymous customer reviews without filtering by expertise — a tourist's first visit counts the same as a critic's fiftieth. Delekta weights professional, published sources (critics, Michelin, guides) as the primary signal, and uses customer ratings only as a secondary sanity check, and only when a restaurant has at least 300 reviews. Below that threshold the sample is too small to be reliable.
Which sources does Delekta use?
Four tiers: industry guides (Michelin, World's 50 Best, Guía Repsol, Macarfi), professional food media (Time Out, The Infatuation, Eater, Directo al Paladar, Condé Nast Traveler, and similar), major press (La Vanguardia, El País, El Mundo, Bon Viveur), and local food specialists (Barcelona-specific food blogs and community publications). Each tier carries different weight in the score.
Does a Michelin star affect the Delekta Score?
Yes, but indirectly. There's no "+X points per star" multiplier. Michelin is treated as a top-tier industry guide source, and a star placement counts as an active positive recommendation — triggering the positivity bonus. So a Michelin-starred restaurant scores higher than an otherwise identical unstarred one, but through the source signal, not as a direct bonus.
Does price affect the Delekta Score?
No. Price is deliberately not a positive signal in the methodology — expensive does not mean good. The system is calibrated so that the best value often lives at €€ and €€€, exactly where locals frequent. A €€ neighborhood classic can outscore a €€€€ fine-dining restaurant if the expert consensus is stronger.
Does Delekta accept payment from restaurants?
No. No restaurant pays to be listed, and no advertiser influences rankings. The methodology is published in full — scoring weights and quality thresholds are stated plainly, not hidden behind a proprietary algorithm.
Why don't all restaurants have a Delekta Score?
A restaurant needs at least two published professional sources to receive a score. If a restaurant appears in the guide without a score, we believe it deserves attention — but the editorial coverage isn't yet sufficient to rank it fairly. Those restaurants still appear in neighborhood and cuisine listings, and they pick up a score as soon as two credible sources exist.
How often are Delekta Scores updated?
The score is living — it recalculates automatically whenever sources, restaurants, or awards change. Unlike annual "best of" lists that go stale, Delekta reflects the current critical consensus, not a frozen snapshot from months ago. A restaurant that gets a new Michelin star or a strong review this week will see its score move within days.