Sense Chinese Restaurant food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Durham
Sense Chinese Restaurant 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 21 January 2026, 5 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: 80 Claypath, Durham, DH1 1QT
How it compares in Durham
In Durham, 75% of rated places manage a 5, so Sense Chinese Restaurant sits behind roughly 3,764 nearby businesses. 7% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,088 | 75% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 676 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 284 | 7% | ← Sense Chinese Restaurant | |
| 2 out of 5 | 50 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 22 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 518 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 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 Sense Chinese Restaurant 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 Sense Chinese Restaurant, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson's Greengrocers Retailers - other | 225 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 June 2024 |
| Durham Distillery Retailers - other | 250 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 October 2023 |
| Chapters of Durham Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 254 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 February 2025 |
| Cafe Cenno Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 262 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 May 2026 |
| Bells Fish & Chips Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 276 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 February 2026 |
| Blue Eyes Durham Limited Pub/bar/nightclub | 286 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 July 2025 |
| Delta Hotels by Marriott Durham Royal County Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 286 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 January 2025 |
| Durham City Fruiterers Retailers - other | 292 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 August 2025 |
Questions about Sense Chinese Restaurant
What is Sense Chinese Restaurant's food hygiene rating?
Sense Chinese Restaurant has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Durham Council on 21 January 2026.
Is Sense Chinese Restaurant 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 Sense Chinese Restaurant last inspected?
Sense Chinese Restaurant was last inspected on 21 January 2026, 5 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 Sense Chinese Restaurant?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Sense Chinese Restaurant compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,122 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, while Sense Chinese Restaurant holds a 3. 284 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects Sense Chinese Restaurant 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 Sense Chinese Restaurant 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
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