The Art Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Colchester
The Art Cafe 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 12 February 2025, 17 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: 2 Coast Road, West Mersea, Essex, CO5 8QE
How it compares in Colchester
That puts The Art Cafe among the 1,191 places in Colchester holding top marks, 89% 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 | 1,191 | 89% | ← The Art Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 82 | 6% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 48 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 296 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 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 The Art Cafe 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 Art Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The White Hart Inn Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 42 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 October 2025 |
| Unique Fish Bar Takeaway/sandwich shop | 45 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 July 2026 |
| Valeries Tea Room Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 54 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 February 2025 |
| Arthur Cock & Son Retailers - other | 98 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 May 2025 |
| Pera Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 116 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 May 2026 |
| China Kitchen Takeaway/sandwich shop | 123 yards away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 17 June 2025 |
| The Strood Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 131 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 April 2026 |
| Titash Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 189 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 August 2025 |
Questions about The Art Cafe
What is The Art Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Art Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Colchester Council on 12 February 2025.
Is The Art Cafe 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 The Art Cafe last inspected?
The Art Cafe was last inspected on 12 February 2025, 17 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Colchester Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Art Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "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 The Art Cafe compare to other places in Colchester?
89% of the 1,335 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, and The Art Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Colchester Council inspects The Art Cafe 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 Art Cafe and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Art Cafe is one of 51 rated food businesses in West Mersea. See every hygiene rating in West Mersea →
Colchester inspects and rates 1,631 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Colchester →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.colchester.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 →