The Whale Tea food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Westminster
The Whale Tea 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 26 August 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: 18 Queensway, London, W2 3RX
How it compares in Westminster
In Westminster, 70% of rated places manage a 5, so The Whale Tea sits behind roughly 3,663 nearby businesses. 16% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,663 | 70% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 848 | 16% | ← The Whale Tea | |
| 3 out of 5 | 393 | 8% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 233 | 4% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 84 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 14 | <1% |
A further 446 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 The Whale Tea 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 Whale Tea, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Maher Takeaway/sandwich shop | 34 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 September 2023 |
| 1Rebel Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 July 2024 |
| 101 West Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 September 2025 |
| 114 KCS Ltd Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2025 |
| Aberdeen Steak House Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2024 |
| Acai Berry Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 August 2024 |
| 104 Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 December 2023 |
| Abc Hyde Park Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 April 2024 |
Questions about The Whale Tea
What is The Whale Tea's food hygiene rating?
The Whale Tea has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Westminster Council on 26 August 2025.
Is The Whale Tea 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 The Whale Tea last inspected?
The Whale Tea was last inspected on 26 August 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Westminster Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Whale Tea?
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 The Whale Tea compare to other places in Westminster?
70% of the 5,235 rated food businesses in Westminster hold the top rating of 5, while The Whale Tea holds a 4. 848 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Westminster Council inspects The Whale Tea 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 Whale Tea and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Westminster inspects and rates 5,681 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Westminster →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.westminster.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 →