Northern Lights food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Belfast City
Northern Lights holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub 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
This is a fresh result: Northern Lights was inspected on 4 June 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: 451 Ormeau Road, BT7 3GQ
How this rating has changed
Northern Lights has gone backwards: it held a 5 before its inspection on 4 June 2026, and now holds a 3.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 4 June 2026 | 5 3 | Worse |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Belfast City
In Belfast City, 73% of rated places manage a 5, so Northern Lights sits behind roughly 2,619 nearby businesses. 8% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,117 | 73% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 502 | 17% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 230 | 8% | ← Northern Lights | |
| 2 out of 5 | 46 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 24 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 253 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 Northern Lights 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 Northern Lights, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Gelato Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 26 November 2025 |
| Ballynafeigh Methodist Community Meal Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 97 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 May 2025 |
| Ballynafeigh Apprentice Boys Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 357 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 April 2017 |
| Arlington Private Nursing Home Caring Premises | 404 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 June 2026 |
| Annadale Community Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
| Aquinas Grammar School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 November 2025 |
| Annadale Care Home Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 June 2026 |
| 5A Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2025 |
Questions about Northern Lights
What is Northern Lights's food hygiene rating?
Northern Lights has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Belfast City Council on 4 June 2026.
Is Northern Lights safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub 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 Northern Lights last inspected?
Northern Lights was last inspected on 4 June 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Belfast City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Northern Lights?
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 Northern Lights compare to other places in Belfast City?
73% of the 2,919 rated food businesses in Belfast City hold the top rating of 5, while Northern Lights holds a 3. 230 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Belfast City Council inspects Northern Lights 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 Northern Lights and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Belfast City inspects and rates 3,172 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Belfast City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/buildingcontrol-environment/foodsafety/consumers-foodhygienescheme.aspx
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 →