The Hilltop Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Brighton and Hove
The Hilltop Cafe 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 8 February 2025, 17 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: Tea Kiosk, Dyke Road Avenue, Brighton, BN1 5LF
How it compares in Brighton and Hove
That puts The Hilltop Cafe among the 2,255 places in Brighton and Hove holding top marks, 82% 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 | 2,255 | 82% | ← The Hilltop Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 353 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 97 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 22 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 23 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 260 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 Good
- 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 Hilltop Cafe 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 Hilltop Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Vines Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 April 2022 |
| ACE Food And Wine Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 May 2019 |
| Achieve Together - 22A Carden Avenue Caring Premises | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 February 2026 |
| Aldrington Breakfast Club School/college/university | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 September 2024 |
| Aldrington C E Primary School School/college/university | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 March 2026 |
Questions about The Hilltop Cafe
What is The Hilltop Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Hilltop Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Brighton and Hove Council on 8 February 2025.
Is The Hilltop Cafe 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 Hilltop Cafe last inspected?
The Hilltop Cafe was last inspected on 8 February 2025, 17 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Brighton and Hove Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Hilltop Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "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 Hilltop Cafe compare to other places in Brighton and Hove?
82% of the 2,751 rated food businesses in Brighton and Hove hold the top rating of 5, and The Hilltop Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Brighton and Hove Council inspects The Hilltop Cafe 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 Hilltop Cafe 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 Hilltop Cafe is one of 1,916 rated food businesses in Brighton. See every hygiene rating in Brighton →
Brighton and Hove inspects and rates 3,011 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Brighton and Hove →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/foodsafety
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 →