Michelin Competitor Renzell Releases First Restaurant Rankings

The restaurant rating industry has a new entrant in Renzell, which has launched in SF, Chicago, and New York as a “Michelin competitor.” It’s running on a data-driving rating system, using the opinions of hundreds of locals that do not have media or industry ties to anonymously rate restaurants (on their own dime) through a 60-question survey that takes biases into account. Eight categories are surveyed (hospitality, service, value, food, design, vibe, cocktails, and wine/sake), and Renzell then weighs the answer against the respondent’s preferences to help eliminate bias.

It’s been seven months since Renzell announced its SF ratings, and preliminary results have now been released. “We’re going to release ratings a few times throughout the year — giving everyone an early look at how they’re faring — as we build toward our official rating release in September,” founder Jacob Lewis told Eater.

Results so far both follow Michelin ratings — with three-Michelin-starred restaurants Benu and Quince ranking on top — as well as break rank a bit, with lesser-starred spots Kusakabe (no stars), Atelier Crenn (two stars), and Spruce (one star) rounding out the top five. The top ten so far are:

1. Benu
2. Quince
3. Kusakabe
4. Atelier Crenn
5. Spruce
6. State Bird Provisions
7. Rich Table
8. Gary Danko
9. Monsieur Benjamin
10. Nopa

You can check out the full ranking and scores — so far — here.

• Michelin Competitor Launches New Rating System in SF [ESF]
• Renzell [Official Site]
• San Francisco's 2017 Michelin Stars, Mapped [ESF]