Niihaw food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Sevenoaks
Niihaw holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
This is a fresh result: Niihaw was inspected on 14 July 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Only 3% of rated food businesses in Sevenoaks score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Sevenoaks ratings →
Address: 205 London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1DP
How this rating has changed
Niihaw has gone backwards: it held a 3 before its inspection on 14 July 2026, and now holds a 1. A rating of 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 14 July 2026 | 3 1 | 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 Sevenoaks
A 1 is rare: only 5 of 862 rated places in Sevenoaks score this low, about one in 172. By contrast 79% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 685 | 79% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 110 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 47 | 5% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | 1% | ← Niihaw | |
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 89 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Niihaw the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled and confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Niihaw, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 2 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 July 2026 |
| Greggs PLC Takeaway/sandwich shop | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2026 |
| Elkervan Kebab House Takeaway/sandwich shop | 141 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 March 2026 |
| Hattusa Takeaway/sandwich shop | 141 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2025 |
| LEAP Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 161 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 September 2025 |
| Greenfield Market Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 163 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 March 2025 |
| Kids Planet Sevenoaks Other catering premises | 372 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 May 2025 |
| Emily Jackson House Caring Premises | 406 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 June 2026 |
Questions about Niihaw
What is Niihaw's food hygiene rating?
Niihaw has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Sevenoaks Council on 14 July 2026.
Is Niihaw safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was Niihaw last inspected?
Niihaw was last inspected on 14 July 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Sevenoaks Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Niihaw?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Niihaw compare to other places in Sevenoaks?
79% of the 862 rated food businesses in Sevenoaks hold the top rating of 5, while Niihaw holds a 1. 5 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sevenoaks Council inspects Niihaw 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 Niihaw 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 →
Is this your business?
A rating of 1 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Sevenoaks, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Sevenoaks
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Sevenoaks inspects and rates 951 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Sevenoaks →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sevenoaks.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 →