Smoking Lobster food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Isle of Wight
Smoking Lobster 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 12 March 2026, 4 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: Esplanade, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, PO38 1JT
How it compares in Isle of Wight
In Isle of Wight, 70% of rated places manage a 5, so Smoking Lobster sits behind roughly 1,040 nearby businesses. 18% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,040 | 70% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 262 | 18% | ← Smoking Lobster | |
| 3 out of 5 | 139 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 31 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 208 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Good
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 Smoking Lobster 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 Smoking Lobster, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esplanade Beach Shop Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 10 July 2024 |
| Mill Bay Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 166 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 October 2024 |
| New China House Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 237 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 March 2026 |
| St Catherine's Church Other catering premises | 237 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 September 2016 |
| Masala Bay (Indian) Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 279 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 March 2026 |
| Stripped Brasserie Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 282 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2026 |
| St Catherine's School School/college/university | 282 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 September 2024 |
| Occasions And Ventnor Post Office Retailers - other | 284 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 August 2019 |
Questions about Smoking Lobster
What is Smoking Lobster's food hygiene rating?
Smoking Lobster has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Isle of Wight Council on 12 March 2026.
Is Smoking Lobster 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 Smoking Lobster last inspected?
Smoking Lobster was last inspected on 12 March 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Isle of Wight Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Smoking Lobster?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Smoking Lobster compare to other places in Isle of Wight?
70% of the 1,479 rated food businesses in Isle of Wight hold the top rating of 5, while Smoking Lobster holds a 4. 262 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Isle of Wight Council inspects Smoking Lobster 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 Smoking Lobster and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Smoking Lobster is one of 110 rated food businesses in Ventnor. See every hygiene rating in Ventnor →
Isle of Wight inspects and rates 1,687 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Isle of Wight →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.iow.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/community-protection-services/
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 →