EDITORS' NOTE

While we certainly enjoyed the months of sheer discovery, indulgence, and gluttony that go hand-in-hand with putting together this wonderful compendium of all things epicurean, we are also ecstatic to give you the best and premium dining experiences that this country has to offer. In this 14th edition of the guide, we tried and tested the best third wave cafès in the metro in

CaffeineFix p. 22; had a good look into the rising trend in local microbreweries (and sampled a craft beer or two) in What’sBrewing? p. 14; then in GenT.Dining, p. 30, we get up close and personal with some of Philippine Tat le r’ s culinary Gen T lister influence rs. For a quick and easy reference to the overall dining experinece at the 173 restaurants listed in this guide, each restaurant has been rated in four key areas—setting, food, wine, and service. The system is employed year-round by all Philippine Tat le rB est Restaurant Guide reviewers, whether they are appraising a restaurant for this guide or for the latest review published on Philtatlerdining.com.

To ensure that our experience of each restaurant was as close to that of a regular diner, each venue was reviewed anonymously during the compilation of this guide. The final ratings are a result of the reviewer’s reported experience, plus the general recommmendations of our expert editorial panel. The ratings are displayed at the bottom of each review through the use of easy-to-read symbols. Setting, food, wine, and service are each rated on a scale of one to ten, and take into account a myriad of factors related to the dining experience. The unveiling of the prestigious annual Top 20 is always a thrill (turn to p. 50 for the full list and extended profiles). In addition to the Top 20, we added four speciality awards. It is with our reviewers and expert editorial panel that we arrive at these awardees, so recognised for being the top of their class. These are best new chef, best pastry chef, best cocktails, and best new restaurant. After reviewing all eligible entries, a shortlist is compiled and a vote carried out to determine the ultimate award recipients. It must also be mentioned that along with the release of the 2018 guide, we are excited to launch our rebranding to T. Dining by Philippine Tat le rB est Restaurants 2018, which, along with a revamped T.Dining website ( philtatlerdining.com) will kick off a series of T.Dining events throughout the year. Watch this space!