Charlie's Bar food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Colchester
Charlie's Bar holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 5 June 2023, more than 3 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.
Address: 24 East Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 2TR
How it compares in Colchester
In Colchester, 89% of rated places manage a 5, so Charlie's Bar sits behind roughly 1,200 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,200 | 89% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 83 | 6% | ← Charlie's Bar | |
| 3 out of 5 | 50 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 302 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 Very good
- 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 Charlie's Bar 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 Charlie's Bar, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angelina's Day Care Caring Premises | 111 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 January 2026 |
| Ant and Chid Retailers - other | 406 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 June 2026 |
| AYS Care Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 December 2023 |
| Cafe Lato Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 February 2025 |
| Cafe & Ice cream Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 August 2025 |
| Big Up Off Licence Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 June 2025 |
| Aldi Supermarket Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2024 |
| BHWinnock Store Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2024 |
Questions about Charlie's Bar
What is Charlie's Bar's food hygiene rating?
Charlie's Bar has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Colchester Council on 5 June 2023.
Is Charlie's Bar safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Charlie's Bar last inspected?
Charlie's Bar was last inspected on 5 June 2023, more than 3 years 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 Charlie's Bar?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Charlie's Bar compare to other places in Colchester?
89% of the 1,349 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, while Charlie's Bar holds a 4. 83 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Colchester Council inspects Charlie's Bar 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 Charlie's Bar and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Colchester inspects and rates 1,651 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 →