Our editorial charter: how we choose places

This page exists for a simple reason. When you come across a guide to places, the first reasonable question, whether you are a reader or a craftsperson, is "is this sponsored?". At Épicurieux, the answer is no. Never. Rather than repeat that one listing at a time, we prefer to set it out here, once, with the detail of our method. No visitor should have to guess what lies behind a recommendation. No producer should wonder whether being on Épicurieux depends on a payment. This charter is our public commitment. It applies to every listing on the site.

Our single selection criterion

We have only one criterion and it rests on two conditions, at least one of which must be met. Either the place left a personal mark on us during a visit we made and paid for ourselves, and we are convinced it will give a curious reader something. Or it was recommended to us by a source we trust, a craftsperson already on Épicurieux, a reader whose judgement has proved sound, a fellow writer whose work we know, and we have gone to check for ourselves before publishing.

There is no mark, no star, no numbered ranking. A place is on Épicurieux or it is not. If it is on, it is because it is worth the detour for what it does specifically, and we take the time to explain that in the listing.

How a place ends up on Épicurieux

Three routes in, one shared filter. The first is personal discovery: we go away for a weekend, we stop in a village, we stumble on a cellar or a table we were not expecting. The second is a recommendation from a reader or from another craftsperson, usually by email. The third is a producer writing to us directly to introduce themselves.

All three routes then go through the same check: a visit on the ground, a conversation with the person running the place, the writing of the listing, an internal read-through. The fact that a producer wrote to us first gives them no advantage. The fact that we found them on our own gives them none either. What matters is what we see in person.

What we never do

No subscription, at any price and under any name. No bidding for a listing to appear at the top of a category. No hidden product placement in our articles. No "verified" reviews that are in fact written or reread by the craftsperson. No partnership where a brand would pay for its name to appear next to an independent recommendation.

We do not sell access to our contact list either. The information craftspeople share with us stays between them and us, for editorial use on the site and nothing else.

What happens when a place loses what we liked

A change of ownership, a new team, a move upmarket that strips the character out, a drop in quality, a closure: these things happen. When a reader tells us about a change, or when we notice one on a return visit, we get back in touch with the craftsperson. We explain what we see. If the listing needs updating, we rewrite it and clearly note the date of the last visit. If it needs removing, we remove it, and we always tell the person concerned beforehand.

Pulling a listing is not a pleasant thing to do and we handle it with care. But the site would lose all its value if we kept entries out of habit when they no longer hold up.

The editorial status of each listing

Every listing is written by the Épicurieux team, which is to say the two of us. Where possible, and that is most of the time, we are in touch with the producer during writing. We check the facts, we ask how they describe their own work, we make sure we have not misread a method or an appellation. This is not a marketing read-through, it is an accuracy check.

The final word stays with us. If we write that the cellar is small and that this is part of its charm, and the producer would rather we said "intimate", we keep "small". This independence is part of the implicit contract with the reader.

Conflicts of interest

We are not naive. A guide that grows over time ends up crossing paths with friends, acquaintances, people we particularly like. If one of us has a personal connection to a place, a long-standing friend, family, close neighbour, the listing says so plainly. If a visit was offered or arranged outside normal conditions, the listing says so plainly. To date, no case of this kind exists on the site, but the mechanism is in place for the day it needs to be used. We prefer a slightly heavy-handed transparency to a discretion that drifts into omission.

Frequently asked questions about our charter

Are you paid by the places listed on the site?

No. No place pays us money, not to get on Épicurieux, not to stay on it, not to rank higher. There is no subscription, no premium tier, no fast-track fee. That is the ground rule and it does not move.

Can you refuse to list a place?

Yes, and it happens regularly. A recommendation does not become a listing if our test on the ground does not confirm it. We reply to the person who contacted us, sometimes we explain why, but we do not publish out of politeness.

Who is behind Épicurieux?

Two friends who like to travel for good food and good lodging, and who turned this into an editorial project after 2020. The full story is on the About page.

Do you receive gifts from the producers you visit?

When a craftsperson offers us a glass, a quick tasting or a small sample at the end of a visit, we accept. It is normal practice. We refuse offered overnight stays, complimentary fine-dining meals, and parcels sent to our home without prior request. If any situation were to weigh on our judgement, it would be declared at the top of the listing.

How do I report an error or a change concerning a place?

Write to us via the contact form, mentioning the place concerned and what has changed (opening hours, owner, quality, closure). We check and correct, or we remove the listing if what we had liked is no longer there.

To read on, you can find out who we are, or write to us directly via the contact page. We read everything, and we reply.

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