About SquareMeal

Find the right place to eat, meet and celebrate

SquareMeal is the UK's most trusted guide and marketplace for restaurants, private dining, event venues, Christmas parties and wedding venues. We help millions find, book and plan extraordinary events, while rewarding them for every experience.

Our Story

Founded by school friends Simon White and Mark de Wesselow in 1989, SquareMeal began as a print guide to eating out in the Square Mile, London's historic financial centre. It soon became the most influential restaurant guide in London, built on honest reviews, expert insight and trusted recommendations.

As well as publishing the SquareMeal Guide, we also published SquareMeal Venues and Events, SquareMeal Weddings, and drinks culture magazine Imbibe, and hosted events like Venues and Events Live, London's biggest venues convention, bringing thousands of venues and bookers together under one roof at Old Billingsgate. That deep expertise in restaurants, weddings and events is baked into everything we do today.

In 2018, Dean Yardley, founder and former MD of wedding planning website and venues directory Hitched, joined the company as CEO. Two years later, SquareMeal completed its transformation into a fully digital platform, closing its print titles in 2020 to focus entirely on building the UK's best restaurant and venue discovery experience online.

From our roots in the Square Mile, SquareMeal has since grown to cover the whole of the UK, with a presence in international markets including the UAE, Ireland and Singapore.

What makes SquareMeal different?

We believe finding the perfect restaurant or venue should be effortless and rewarding. Our mission is to connect people with exceptional spaces, whether you're planning a special birthday dinner, a landmark corporate event, or a wedding.

SquareMeal is not just any guide. We have spent over three decades writing about the UK's best restaurants and venues. Our team of expert writers, critics and hospitality professionals know the industry inside out, reviewing hundreds of restaurants every year and creating trusted guides that help diners find fantastic places to eat.

Every year, our editorial team names the UK and London Top 100 Restaurants among the most respected lists in British dining, with past winners including The Fat Duck, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Moor Hall and Wilson's. We also celebrate the industry's best female talent through our annual Female Chef of the Year award, with past winners including Angela Hartnett, Skye Gyngell and Adejoke Bakare.

35+ years of restaurant and venue expertise 1M+ monthly reach 400,000 signed-up members 700+ restaurants in our voucher programme

How does SquareMeal work?

Discovery: Use our powerful search and 100+ filters to find your perfect restaurant or venue, from rooftop bars to Michelin-starred private dining rooms, or the lakeside wedding venue you've always dreamed of.

Enquiry: Contact and book venues with the tap of a button, or let our free Concierge handle the work for you.

Rewards: Every confirmed restaurant visit or venue booking earns you points towards luxury gifts or restaurant vouchers for money off your next bill.

SquareMeal Rewards: We reward you for eating out

SquareMeal Rewards is our loyalty programme, rewarding members for booking restaurants and venues, eating out, and reviewing their experiences.

100 Rewards Points = £1

Redeem your points for vouchers and earn money off your next bill, or exchange them for over 4,000 luxury products in our shop.

Manage your rewards and bookings in the SquareMeal app.

SquareMeal Smart Vouchers: Seamless vouchers for 700+ restaurants nationwide

SquareMeal Vouchers are delivered instantly via email, on the date and time of your choosing. They're redeemable at over 650 restaurants nationwide, including Hawksmoor, Bill's Restaurants, Gaucho, Wahaca, Comptoir Libanais and Dirty Martini.

There's no paper voucher or complicated redemption policy. Just dine, pay with a registered card. We will send the voucher amount straight to your card.

Want to list your venue on SquareMeal?

Find out how we can help you reach diners and event bookers.