Sam's Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Camden
Sam's Cafe holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 16 July 2025, 11 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: 40 Chalcot Road Primrose Hill, NW1 8LS
How it compares in Camden
In Camden, 59% of rated places manage a 5, so Sam's Cafe sits behind roughly 1,993 nearby businesses. 19% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,993 | 59% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 654 | 19% | ← Sam's Cafe | |
| 3 out of 5 | 457 | 14% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 127 | 4% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 90 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 52 | 2% |
A further 924 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Sam's 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 Sam's Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 130 Primrose Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 231 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 June 2026 |
| 103 Parkway Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2024 |
| 3 Locks Brewery Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 April 2023 |
| Abbey Tavern Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 November 2025 |
Questions about Sam's Cafe
What is Sam's Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Sam's Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Camden Council on 16 July 2025.
Is Sam's Cafe safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Sam's Cafe last inspected?
Sam's Cafe was last inspected on 16 July 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Camden Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Sam's Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Sam's Cafe compare to other places in Camden?
59% of the 3,373 rated food businesses in Camden hold the top rating of 5, while Sam's Cafe holds a 4. 654 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Camden Council inspects Sam's 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 Sam's 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
Camden inspects and rates 4,297 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Camden →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.camden.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 →