LET US EXPLAIN WHY

This is the question we’re asked most often by friends, family, and restaurateurs: why?

The Hedo team is made up of people who work — and work hard — in the world of gastronomy, and have been doing so for years. So you can imagine we don’t exactly have endless free time to dedicate to side projects. And then, again: why?

There are guides everywhere. All over the world. Rankings, awards, reviews, lists, articles — you name it. Was there really a need for another one?

And yet, on every single trip, we always found ourselves in the same situation: checking five different guides, seven blogs, four newspapers just to figure out where to eat. Three guides to understand which area to stay in so it would be convenient to reach this restaurant or that one. Three more to find the right wine bar in Bangkok. Over a thousand articles claiming to reveal the best croissant in Paris. Eight blogs just to understand where on earth to eat good Mediterranean food in Marrakech.

So we thought it would be much more practical to have everything in one place.
No rankings, no awards — just the best, according to us, city by city.
Every neighborhood, every street explored, highlighting what truly stands out through the eyes of a group of hedonistic travelers. Travelers who move for food, for drinks, for discovering products, traditions, and cultures.

—So, what makes you different from the others?

We are (really) free — both for the places featured on our maps and for the end users.
— So are (almost) all the others.

You can geolocate yourself and see how far you are from the best bakery in Rome.
— That’s what Google Maps is for.

Yes, but Google Maps isn’t a selection — it’s a jumble. There’s no real filter, and reviews are mixed in with those from the owner’s cousin and his seven aunts. How objective is that, really?

Anonymity is one of our core rules.

And then, we want to go global. To explore the world together with people. To shine a light on Cambodian street food just as much as Thai. Every culture has its own excellence, and anyone, from anywhere in the world, should be able to discover it through a map.

Six months after Hedo was born, we’ve already covered nearly 30 destinations worldwide. The project has been warmly welcomed by industry professionals, and little by little, new parallel projects will come to life — always while continuing to travel, and always continuing to search for the best.

We believe that somewhere between unverified rankings, stars, paid metal plaques bolted onto restaurant façades, and glossy influencer lists compiled by people whose day job is interior design, there’s room for us too.

Today, our blog is born.
This text, after all, was simply an excuse to tell you a bit about our story.

Because when we’re asked “Why?”, our answer is usually just: why not?

Hedo Team