Criteria & Awarding Procedure
Here we disclose how the le'Chef Seal is awarded: all criteria, their weighting, the tier thresholds and the community's influence. The seal is a private award by le'Chef – not an official inspection and not an accredited certification.
The four tiers
The le'Chef Seal is granted in four tiers. What counts is the total score (0–100 points) and – from Silver upwards – a minimum number of community reviews:
| Tier | Minimum score | Community reviews | Additional requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 60 / 100 | – | all knock-out criteria met |
| Silver | 72 / 100 | min. 3 | – |
| Gold | 84 / 100 | min. 3 | in-depth audit |
| Diamond | 92 / 100 | min. 10 | no open complaints |
Knock-out criteria (see table below) must reach their minimum score – otherwise no seal is granted, regardless of the total score.
Criteria & weighting
The rating covers 10 pre-defined criteria in two equally weighted areas (50 % each). The weights add up to exactly 100 %:
| Criterion | Area | Weight | Knock-out threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ingredient quality (freshness, seasonality, origin transparency) | Quality | 15 % | – |
| Freshness | Quality | 10 % | – |
| Craft & taste | Quality | 10 % | – |
| Service & cleanliness | Quality | 8 % | – |
| Value for money | Quality | 7 % | – |
| Hygiene standards | Nutrition & Transparency | 15 % | ≥ 60 points |
| Allergen labelling (EU food information rules) | Nutrition & Transparency | 10 % | ≥ 60 points |
| Nutrition transparency | Nutrition & Transparency | 10 % | – |
| Balanced options (sugar- and salt-conscious) | Nutrition & Transparency | 10 % | – |
| Fresh preparation instead of convenience | Nutrition & Transparency | 5 % | – |
How awarding works
- The basis is a documented assessment by the le'Chef team against the pre-defined criteria listed above – not mere self-declarations by the restaurant.
- Community reviews have a limited influence: they move the score, but can never lift a tier above the maximum set by the le'Chef team.
- Each award is valid for 12 months and is then re-evaluated. In case of violations or substantiated complaints, the seal can be suspended or revoked at any time.
- Tiers cannot be bought: payments to le'Chef have no influence on the rating or tier. Any assessment fees only cover the effort involved.
- Every award, change and revocation is logged internally in an audit-proof way.
Reviews & ranking
How the list is sorted
By default we sort by seal tier, then by total score; alternatively by distance. There are no paid placements.
Authenticity of reviews
Only signed-in le'Chef accounts can submit reviews – one per account and restaurant. We do not systematically verify whether the person actually visited the restaurant; only reviews marked as "visit verified" are visit-checked. Against abuse we use a sign-in requirement, review limits and a reporting and moderation process. We publish positive and negative reviews alike and only remove contributions that violate our guidelines – never because of bad grades.
How the community score is calculated
The community score is not a simple average: newer reviews count more, and with few reviews the value is statistically stabilised to damp outliers and manipulation. All published reviews are included – only those removed for guideline violations are not. We always display the number of underlying reviews.
For restaurant owners
Want to contest a review or your seal rating, or claim your restaurant? Write to support@lechef.ai. We confirm receipt, obtain a statement from the reviewer for contested reviews (with proof of visit where appropriate), and remove reviews if the proof is not provided or our guidelines are violated. We will inform you about the outcome.
The le'Chef Seal is a private quality award based on our criteria and community reviews – not an official inspection or certification. le'Chef is not an accredited certification body (ISO/IEC 17065) and does not replace official food safety inspections. Every rating is a snapshot as of the most recent evaluation.