The Alchemist food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Westminster
The Alchemist 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 27 November 2025, 7 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: Garrick House 63-66 St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4JS
How it compares in Westminster
That puts The Alchemist among the 3,663 places in Westminster holding top marks, 70% 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.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,663 | 70% | ← The Alchemist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 848 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 393 | 8% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 233 | 4% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 84 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 14 | <1% |
A further 446 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 Very good
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 Alchemist 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 Alchemist, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 404 Club Not Found Pub/bar/nightclub | 258 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 September 2025 |
| 1 Leicester Square Rooftop Bar and Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 295 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 January 2026 |
| 40 Greek Street Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 353 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 March 2025 |
| 27 Old Compton Street Pasta Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 398 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 July 2025 |
| 50 Kalo Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 April 2021 |
| 3 Greek Street Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 June 2022 |
| 76 Dean Street Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 April 2025 |
| 21 Soho Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 September 2024 |
Questions about The Alchemist
What is The Alchemist's food hygiene rating?
The Alchemist has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Westminster Council on 27 November 2025.
Is The Alchemist 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 Alchemist last inspected?
The Alchemist was last inspected on 27 November 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Westminster Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Alchemist?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Alchemist compare to other places in Westminster?
70% of the 5,235 rated food businesses in Westminster hold the top rating of 5, and The Alchemist is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Westminster Council inspects The Alchemist 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 Alchemist and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Westminster inspects and rates 5,681 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Westminster →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.westminster.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 →