What the Pitta food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Tower Hamlets
What the Pitta holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the restaurant that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 7 August 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: 53 Brick Lane, London, E1 6PU
How it compares in Tower Hamlets
A 2 is rare: only 86 of 2,846 rated places in Tower Hamlets score this low, about one in 33. By contrast 72% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,059 | 72% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 460 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 175 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 86 | 3% | ← What the Pitta | |
| 1 out of 5 | 62 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 4 | <1% |
A further 311 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 Improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 What the Pitta the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled and the condition of the premises. 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 What the Pitta, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 68 & Shanghai Pub/bar/nightclub | 209 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 May 2026 |
| Aba Rai Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 211 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2026 |
| 24 Karak Takeaway/sandwich shop | 267 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 December 2025 |
| 93 Feet East Pub/bar/nightclub | 385 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 May 2026 |
| 2nigerianboys Mobile caterer | 404 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 October 2025 |
| 1947 Restaurant, Bar & Pizza Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 417 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 December 2025 |
| A R S Cash & Carry Retailers - other | 430 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 August 2023 |
| A&O Shearman LLP Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 October 2025 |
Questions about What the Pitta
What is What the Pitta's food hygiene rating?
What the Pitta has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Tower Hamlets Council on 7 August 2025.
Is What the Pitta safe to eat at?
A 2 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 What the Pitta last inspected?
What the Pitta was last inspected on 7 August 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Tower Hamlets Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at What the Pitta?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does What the Pitta compare to other places in Tower Hamlets?
72% of the 2,846 rated food businesses in Tower Hamlets hold the top rating of 5, while What the Pitta holds a 2. 86 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Tower Hamlets Council inspects What the Pitta 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 What the Pitta 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 2 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 Tower Hamlets, 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: Tower Hamlets
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Tower Hamlets inspects and rates 3,157 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Tower Hamlets →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.towerhamlets.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 →