Harbour lights food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Dorset
Harbour lights 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 April 2025, 15 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: 5 Esplanade, West Bay, DT6 4HE
How it compares in Dorset
That puts Harbour lights among the 3,808 places in Dorset 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 | 3,808 | 95% | ← Harbour lights | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 139 | 3% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 33 | 1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 1,119 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 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 Harbour 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 Harbour lights, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&E Fish and Chips Ltd Takeaway/sandwich shop | 107 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 June 2025 |
| J&J Wilson (Shops) Ltd Retailers - other | 179 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 March 2024 |
| Pizza Box Mobile caterer | 179 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 May 2026 |
| Quayside Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 179 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 May 2026 |
| Anchors Aweigh Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 268 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 July 2024 |
| Baboo Gelato Ltd Takeaway/sandwich shop | 268 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 June 2025 |
| By the Bridge Takeaway/sandwich shop | 268 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 April 2026 |
| Rise Cafe Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 278 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 August 2025 |
Questions about Harbour lights
What is Harbour lights's food hygiene rating?
Harbour lights has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 8 April 2025.
Is Harbour lights 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 Harbour lights last inspected?
Harbour lights was last inspected on 8 April 2025, 15 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dorset Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Harbour lights?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very 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 Harbour lights compare to other places in Dorset?
95% of the 3,988 rated food businesses in Dorset hold the top rating of 5, and Harbour lights is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Dorset Council inspects Harbour 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 Harbour lights and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Harbour lights is one of 39 rated food businesses in West Bay. See every hygiene rating in West Bay →
Dorset inspects and rates 5,107 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dorset →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.dorsetcouncil.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 →