El mero food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Southwark
El mero holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant 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 17 June 2025, 12 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: 18, Amelia Street, SE17 3PY
How it compares in Southwark
In Southwark, 72% of rated places manage a 5, so El mero sits behind roughly 2,676 nearby businesses. 8% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,139 | 72% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 537 | 18% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 226 | 8% | ← El mero | |
| 2 out of 5 | 56 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 20 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 250 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 El mero 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 El mero, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place at the elephant Caring Premises | 317 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2025 |
| A grocery ltd Retailers - other | 382 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 June 2022 |
| 100% holy cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 November 2024 |
| A & d news Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 January 2021 |
| 1st place children's and parents centre Caring Premises | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 October 2024 |
| A1 chicken bite ltd Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 May 2025 |
Questions about El mero
What is El mero's food hygiene rating?
El mero has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Southwark Council on 17 June 2025.
Is El mero safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant 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 El mero last inspected?
El mero was last inspected on 17 June 2025, 12 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Southwark Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at El mero?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does El mero compare to other places in Southwark?
72% of the 2,980 rated food businesses in Southwark hold the top rating of 5, while El mero holds a 3. 226 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Southwark Council inspects El mero 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 El mero and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Southwark inspects and rates 3,230 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Southwark →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.southwark.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 →