5

The Rabbit Hole food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Durham

The Rabbit Hole holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 16 December 2025, 6 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: 17 Hallgarth Street, Durham, DH1 3AT

How it compares in Durham

That puts The Rabbit Hole among the 3,088 places in Durham holding top marks, 75% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.

Every rated food business in Durham
5 out of 5 3,088 75% ← The Rabbit Hole
4 out of 5 676 16%
3 out of 5 285 7%
2 out of 5 50 1%
1 out of 5 22 1%
0 out of 5 2 <1%

A further 517 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 The Rabbit Hole 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 The Rabbit Hole, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Best One - Dunelm Food Store Retailers - other 206 yards away 5 - Very good 3 April 2025
Durham Students Union Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 209 yards away 5 - Very good 20 May 2025
Durham Masonic Hall Pub/bar/nightclub 386 yards away 5 - Very good 28 April 2025
Durham University - Hatfield College School/college/university 406 yards away 5 - Very good 19 March 2026
Durham University - Circolo Bistro Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 425 yards away 5 - Very good 19 June 2024
Dunelm Club Pub/bar/nightclub 432 yards away 5 - Very good 1 December 2025
Cooplands Retailers - other 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 26 May 2026
Durham Cathedral Mobile caterer 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 19 May 2023

Questions about The Rabbit Hole

What is The Rabbit Hole's food hygiene rating?

The Rabbit Hole has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Durham Council on 16 December 2025.

Is The Rabbit Hole safe to eat at?

The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Rabbit Hole last inspected?

The Rabbit Hole was last inspected on 16 December 2025, 6 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 The Rabbit Hole?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Rabbit Hole compare to other places in Durham?

75% of the 4,123 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, and The Rabbit Hole is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Durham Council inspects The Rabbit Hole 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 The Rabbit Hole and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Durham inspects and rates 4,640 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 →