How our rankings work.
Open formula. Every bonus is visible right on the venue card — you can audit why #1 is #1.
What we don't do
- We don't pay Google. Ratings and review counts come from public Google Maps data — we can't tweak them.
- We don't take money for placement. You can't buy a top spot on Dish.am. This is an editorial list, not "ad — venue #1."
- We don't make up facts. Every feature label such as "Live music" has a source: a feature flag in our database, set after verification.
The formula
Base score = rating × √(review count).
Why square root: multiplying rating × review count gives a venue with 5,000 reviews a huge head start over a classic with 500. Ignoring volume entirely lets 5.0★/3-review venues beat 4.6★/4000-review classics. Square root strikes a balance: more reviews matter, but don't dominate.
Illustrative example: 4.6★ × √4900 = 322; 4.9★ × √20 ≈ 22. These are base scores before bonuses, not current scores for named venues.
Bonuses
On top of base, we add transparent bonuses. All of them appear in the expandable "Why this rank?" block under each card:
| Bonus | Points | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Classic — 1000+ reviews | +8 | Google Maps |
| Established — 500+ | +5 | Google Maps |
| Popular — 200+ | +3 | Google Maps |
| High rating at scale (≥4.7★ × ≥200r) | +6 | Google Maps |
| Consistently high rating (≥4.5★ and ≥100 reviews, when the +6 quality bonus does not apply) | +3 | Google Maps |
| Dish.am editorial pick | +6 | Editor's manual tag |
| Live music | +3 | Google category + reviews |
| Rooftop terrace | +3 | Category + verification |
| Outdoor seating / terrace | +1 | 2026 crawl |
| Vegan options | +1 | Menu + reviews |
| Kid-friendly | +1 | Google attributes |
On occasion pages (romantic, birthday, business lunch) we add contextual bonuses (+3 to +6). They apply only if the venue's feature matches the occasion, so the same bar can have a different final score in a generic top list vs. a "for romantic dinners" list.
Update cadence
Rating and review count reflect the latest catalogue update. They are not live Google Maps values and can change between updates.
Feature bonuses — manual updates whenever an editor verifies a venue (visited in person or reviewed last 90 days of guest reviews).
"Editorial pick" bonus applies when the editorial team has marked a venue in the catalogue. It is separate from the public rating; the bonus does not promise that a place suits every visitor.
See the formula in use
Best restaurants in Yerevan · Best fast food in Yerevan
Open “Why this rank?” on a ranked card to see its base score and bonuses. Cuisine and neighbourhood catalogue lists can use a different order; this formula describes the ranking pages.
Disclaimer
This ranking is our composite. It answers "where to go based on available public signals." It doesn't mean place #1 is objectively better than place #15 — it means by our criteria, #1 scored more points.
Taste is personal. If you love a quiet courtyard and #1 is a loud pub, go to #14. Open the "Why this rank?" block, look at the bonuses, filter by your own taste.