Methodology

To determine our world-renowned ratings, our team of expert reviewers begins by abducting a random sample of customers exiting a dining establishment, sedating them, and smuggling them to one of Mampfen’s regional black sites. There, diners complete a battery of blood and urine tests, undergo a full psychological review, and provide a short writing sample describing their favorite dish from the restaurant and the reasons why. After 96 hours of continuous testing, our reviewers then synthesize the data and tabulate a restaurant score based on 45 factors—including subjects’ gastric acid production, serotonin levels, and overall liver function—before releasing the blindfolded diners back onto the street.

Our coveted “Streunender Hund” accolade is awarded to those dining establishments that surpass our most exacting standards. Ein Streunender Hund and Zwei Streunende Hunde designations are given to remarkable and exceptional restaurants, respectively, with the rare Drei Streunende Hunde classification reserved for only the finest restaurants in the world. The Streunender Hund, or “stray dog system,” was introduced in 1972, when Mampfen food critics, striving for scientific accuracy, ranked entrees by placing them in the street and counting the number of stray dogs that came running to fight over them. While Mampfen no longer employs homeless animals to conduct its ratings, the Streunender Hund has remained a symbol of culinary excellence across the globe.