Le Guide de L’Espresso has been publishing their annual guide to dining in Italy – I Ristoranti d’Italia – since 1978. They also now publish their guide as a mobile app.

They rate restaurants with cappelli symbols – toques or chef’s hats – according to the following scale:

1 cappello     good
2 cappelli      high quality
3 cappelli      great
4 cappelli      excellent
5 cappelli      the absolute best

You can purchase the 40th anniversary edition of their guide [in Italian] here.