Bombay Bicycle Chef food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Wandsworth
Bombay Bicycle Chef 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
This is a fresh result: Bombay Bicycle Chef was inspected on 3 June 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: 88 Balham High Road, London, SW12 9AG
How it compares in Wandsworth
A 2 is rare: only 27 of 2,428 rated places in Wandsworth score this low, about one in 90. By contrast 78% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,887 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 307 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 162 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 27 | 1% | ← Bombay Bicycle Chef | |
| 1 out of 5 | 41 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 4 | <1% |
A further 453 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- 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 Bombay Bicycle Chef the inspector recorded concerns over 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 Bombay Bicycle Chef, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Bite of Asia Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 16 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 March 2025 |
| Amelia's Kitchen & Bakehouse Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 16 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 July 2026 |
| Amicooks Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 16 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 July 2025 |
| Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 386 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 October 2023 |
| Abacus Day Nursery Caring Premises | 432 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 May 2026 |
| 21 Grams Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 January 2025 |
| Alfriston Road Post Office Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 August 2025 |
| All Greens Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 February 2024 |
Questions about Bombay Bicycle Chef
What is Bombay Bicycle Chef's food hygiene rating?
Bombay Bicycle Chef has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Wandsworth Council on 3 June 2026.
Is Bombay Bicycle Chef 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 Bombay Bicycle Chef last inspected?
Bombay Bicycle Chef was last inspected on 3 June 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Wandsworth Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Bombay Bicycle Chef?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Bombay Bicycle Chef compare to other places in Wandsworth?
78% of the 2,428 rated food businesses in Wandsworth hold the top rating of 5, while Bombay Bicycle Chef holds a 2. 27 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Wandsworth Council inspects Bombay Bicycle Chef 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 Bombay Bicycle Chef and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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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 Wandsworth, 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: Wandsworth
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Wandsworth inspects and rates 2,881 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Wandsworth →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.wandsworth.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 →