SquareMeal


SquareMeal is a restaurant and venues guide that offers professional restaurant critic reviews, along with a directory of restaurants and venues.

History

SquareMeal was co-founded by school friends Mark de Wesselow and Simon White in 1989 as a print – and later online – guide to eating out in the Square Mile, London's historic financial centre. The guide has since expanded into covering the whole of the UK, along with sister sites in UAE, Ireland, Hong Kong and Singapore.
In 2018 Dean Yardley – founder & former MD of wedding planning website and venues directory hitched.co.uk – joined the company as CEO.
2020 saw the official closure of all of SquareMeal's print titles to become a fully digital platform.
SquareMeal supports homeless charity StreetSmart. The campaign is supported by Stephen Fry and chefs including Angela Hartnett, Marcus Wareing, Jason Atherton and Fergus Henderson.

Awards

SquareMeal has three annual awards – UK Top 100 restaurants, London Top 100 restaurants and Female Chef of the Year.
;UK Top 100 Awards
The top 100 lists are a compilation of the best dining experiences of the year.
Past winners of SquareMeal's UK Top 100 restaurants:
2025
2024
2023Grace & Savour
2022Osip
2021Awards on hold due to COVID
2020Awards on hold due to COVID
2019Moor Hall
2018Casamia
2017The Sportsman
2016The Fat Duck
2015The Hand & Flowers
2014Northcote
2013Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
2012Purnell's
2011The Kitchin
2010L’Enclume
2009Whatley Manor

;London top 100 awards
Running alongside the UK Top 100 is the London Top 100 – highlighting the best restaurants in England's capital city. Past winners of SquareMeal's London Top 100 restaurants:
2025AGORA
2024Lyle's
2023Da Terra
2022BiBi
2021Awards on hold due to Covid
2020Awards on hold due to Covid
2019Brat
2018Core by Clare Smyth
2017Pollen Street Social
2016Frenchie
2015The Clove Club
2014Gymkhana
2013The Five Fields
2012Dabbous
2011Pollen Street Social
2010The Ledbury
2009Arbutus

;SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year Award
SquareMeal also holds their annual Female Chef of the Year award. In 2018, Angela Hartnett won the award, followed by Skye Gyngell in 2019, with Sally Abe winning in 2021, Lisa Goodwin-Allen winning in 2022, Roberta Hall-McCarron in 2023 and Adejoké Bakare in 2024.
2024Adejoké Bakare
2023Roberta Hall-McCarron
2022Lisa Goodwin-Allen
2021Sally Abè
2020Awards on hold due to Covid
2019Skye Gyngell
2018Angela Harnett