Sambuca Seaham food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Durham
Sambuca Seaham holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 31 July 2025, 11 months ago. Councils typically re-inspect higher-risk businesses every six months to two years, with well-run, low-risk places visited least often, so this is a normal gap.
Address: 5-6 South Terrace, Seaham, SR7 7HN
How it compares in Durham
In Durham, 75% of rated places manage a 5, so Sambuca Seaham sits behind roughly 3,086 nearby businesses. 17% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,086 | 75% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 684 | 17% | ← Sambuca Seaham | |
| 3 out of 5 | 286 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 50 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 25 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 512 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At Sambuca Seaham none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Sambuca Seaham, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asda Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2025 |
| Asda Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2025 |
| B&M Retail Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 February 2026 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 April 2024 |
| Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 February 2025 |
| Farmfoods Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 February 2026 |
| Greggs Retailers - other | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 November 2024 |
| Home Bargains Retailers - other | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 October 2025 |
Questions about Sambuca Seaham
What is Sambuca Seaham's food hygiene rating?
Sambuca Seaham has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Durham Council on 31 July 2025.
Is Sambuca Seaham safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Sambuca Seaham last inspected?
Sambuca Seaham was last inspected on 31 July 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Durham Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Sambuca Seaham?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Sambuca Seaham compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, while Sambuca Seaham holds a 4. 684 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects Sambuca Seaham and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch Sambuca Seaham and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Sambuca Seaham is one of 186 rated food businesses in Seaham. See every hygiene rating in Seaham →
Durham inspects and rates 4,645 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Durham →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.durham.gov.uk
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →