Babelas food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · New Forest
Babelas 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 5 October 2024, 21 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: 20 High Street, Lymington, SO41 9AD
How it compares in New Forest
That puts Babelas among the 1,154 places in New Forest holding top marks, 80% 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 | 1,154 | 80% | ← Babelas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 183 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 68 | 5% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 6 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 23 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 138 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 Babelas 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 Babelas, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottinghams Coffee and Interiors Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 March 2026 |
| Lymington British Legion Club Limited Pub/bar/nightclub | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2025 |
| Deep Blue Takeaway/sandwich shop | 63 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 January 2025 |
| Flapjackery Lymington Retailers - other | 63 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 April 2024 |
| Lounges Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 63 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 October 2022 |
| Lymington Masonic Hall Pub/bar/nightclub | 81 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 March 2025 |
| Mines A Pasty Ltd Takeaway/sandwich shop | 81 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 February 2026 |
| Caffe Nero Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 107 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 January 2026 |
Questions about Babelas
What is Babelas's food hygiene rating?
Babelas has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by New Forest Council on 5 October 2024.
Is Babelas 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 Babelas last inspected?
Babelas was last inspected on 5 October 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by New Forest Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Babelas?
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 Babelas compare to other places in New Forest?
80% of the 1,435 rated food businesses in New Forest hold the top rating of 5, and Babelas is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
New Forest Council inspects Babelas 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 Babelas and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Babelas is one of 252 rated food businesses in Lymington. See every hygiene rating in Lymington →
New Forest inspects and rates 1,573 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in New Forest →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.newforest.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 →