The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Belfast City
The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 5 March 2025, 16 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: 1-3 Lower Garfield Street, BT1 1FP
How it compares in Belfast City
In Belfast City, 73% of rated places manage a 5, so The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) sits behind roughly 2,619 nearby businesses. 8% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,117 | 73% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 502 | 17% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 230 | 8% | ← The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) | |
| 2 out of 5 | 46 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 24 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 253 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 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 The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) 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 Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery), nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| B&M Bargains Retailers - other | 127 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 April 2025 |
| Bakari Manufacturers/packers | 177 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 May 2026 |
| Agra Indian Cuisine & BFC Fried Chicken Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 205 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2024 |
| Auntie Anne's Retailers - other | 291 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 January 2025 |
| Alexander Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 311 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 November 2023 |
| 2 Taps Winebar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 319 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 April 2026 |
| Academy Restaurant School/college/university | 326 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 June 2025 |
| Badmaash Retailers - other | 332 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 February 2025 |
Questions about The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery)
What is The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery)'s food hygiene rating?
The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Belfast City Council on 5 March 2025.
Is The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) last inspected?
The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) was last inspected on 5 March 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Belfast City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery)?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) compare to other places in Belfast City?
73% of the 2,919 rated food businesses in Belfast City hold the top rating of 5, while The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) holds a 3. 230 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Belfast City Council inspects The Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) 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 Deers Head (Saloon Bar and Bell's Brewery) and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Belfast City inspects and rates 3,172 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Belfast City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/buildingcontrol-environment/foodsafety/consumers-foodhygienescheme.aspx
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 →