The Dee-Caf food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Ards and North Down
The Dee-Caf holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 20 March 2026, 3 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: 28b New Street, Town Parks Of Donaghadee (Main Portion), Donaghadee, BT21 0AG
How it compares in Ards and North Down
In Ards and North Down, 82% of rated places manage a 5, so The Dee-Caf sits behind roughly 1,103 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 949 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 154 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 43 | 4% | ← The Dee-Caf | |
| 2 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 1 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 118 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- 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 The Dee-Caf 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 Dee-Caf, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Stormy Cup Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 35 yards away | 4 - Good | 27 March 2026 |
| Bay of bengal Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 40 yards away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 25 February 2026 |
| Co-op Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 November 2023 |
| Grattan's Family Greengrocers Retailers - other | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 August 2023 |
| Patton's Bakery Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 January 2025 |
| Robin's Nest Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2026 |
| The Cabin Retailers - other | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 March 2024 |
| Esperanto Takeaway/sandwich shop | 46 yards away | 4 - Good | 25 February 2026 |
Questions about The Dee-Caf
What is The Dee-Caf's food hygiene rating?
The Dee-Caf has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Ards and North Down Council on 20 March 2026.
Is The Dee-Caf safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Dee-Caf last inspected?
The Dee-Caf was last inspected on 20 March 2026, 3 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Ards and North Down Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Dee-Caf?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 The Dee-Caf compare to other places in Ards and North Down?
82% of the 1,155 rated food businesses in Ards and North Down hold the top rating of 5, while The Dee-Caf holds a 3. 43 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Ards and North Down Council inspects The Dee-Caf 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 Dee-Caf and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Dee-Caf is one of 884 rated food businesses in Down. See every hygiene rating in Down →
Ards and North Down inspects and rates 1,273 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Ards and North Down →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.ardsandnorthdown.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 →