The Margate Caves Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Thanet
The Margate Caves 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 5 September 2025, 10 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: Margate Caves, Northdown Road, Margate, CT9 1FG
How it compares in Thanet
That puts The Margate Caves Cafe among the 1,413 places in Thanet holding top marks, 95% 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 | 1,413 | 95% | ← The Margate Caves Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 51 | 3% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 7 | <1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 75 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 Margate Caves 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 Margate Caves Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Guest House Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 167 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 July 2025 |
| Aldi Stores Limited Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 223 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 August 2023 |
| Bow's Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 310 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2026 |
| Bar Nothing Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 323 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 February 2022 |
| Barnacles Pub/bar/nightclub | 324 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 February 2015 |
| Bombo Doughnuts Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 324 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 July 2024 |
| Bottega Caruso, The Crown Gallery Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 342 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 April 2025 |
| Carolines Catering Other catering premises | 368 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 June 2025 |
Questions about The Margate Caves Cafe
What is The Margate Caves Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Margate Caves Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Thanet Council on 5 September 2025.
Is The Margate Caves 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 Margate Caves Cafe last inspected?
The Margate Caves Cafe was last inspected on 5 September 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Thanet Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Margate Caves Cafe?
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 Margate Caves Cafe compare to other places in Thanet?
95% of the 1,480 rated food businesses in Thanet hold the top rating of 5, and The Margate Caves Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Thanet Council inspects The Margate Caves 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 Margate Caves 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 Margate Caves Cafe is one of 446 rated food businesses in Margate. See every hygiene rating in Margate →
Thanet inspects and rates 1,555 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Thanet →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.thanet.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 →