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: 2026Wilsons2025Restaurant Sat Bains2024Pine2023Grace & Savour2022Osip2021Awards on hold due to COVID2020Awards on hold due to COVID2019Moor Hall2018Casamia2017The Sportsman2016The Fat Duck2015The Hand & Flowers2014Northcote2013Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons2012Purnell's2011The Kitchin2010L’Enclume2009Whatley 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:
2026Wildflowers2025AGORA2024Lyle's2023Da Terra2022BiBi2021Awards on hold due to Covid2020Awards on hold due to Covid2019Brat2018Core by Clare Smyth2017Pollen Street Social2016Frenchie2015The Clove Club2014Gymkhana2013The Five Fields2012Dabbous2011Pollen Street Social2010The Ledbury2009Arbutus
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.
2025Amber Francis2024Adejoké Bakare2023Roberta Hall-McCarron2022Lisa Goodwin-Allen2021Sally Abè2020Awards on hold due to Covid2019Skye Gyngell2018Angela Harnett
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