Forest Cafe & Bistro food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Lewisham
Forest Cafe & Bistro 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 19 December 2024, 18 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: 193E-G Perry Vale, Forest Hill, London, SE23 2JF
How it compares in Lewisham
In Lewisham, 62% of rated places manage a 5, so Forest Cafe & Bistro sits behind roughly 1,705 nearby businesses. 12% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,252 | 62% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 453 | 23% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 235 | 12% | ← Forest Cafe & Bistro | |
| 2 out of 5 | 35 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 28 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 4 | <1% |
A further 466 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 Forest Cafe & Bistro 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 Forest Cafe & Bistro, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aster House Caring Premises | 247 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 February 2026 |
| Adamsrill Primary School School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 October 2024 |
| Adamsrill After School Club Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 October 2024 |
| Ama Sushi Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 November 2025 |
| Aldi Stores Ltd Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 December 2023 |
| Artist Cake Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 June 2024 |
| Aspects - Food By Design Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 February 2024 |
| Asterley Bros Manufacturers/packers | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 December 2025 |
Questions about Forest Cafe & Bistro
What is Forest Cafe & Bistro's food hygiene rating?
Forest Cafe & Bistro has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Lewisham Council on 19 December 2024.
Is Forest Cafe & Bistro 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 Forest Cafe & Bistro last inspected?
Forest Cafe & Bistro was last inspected on 19 December 2024, 18 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Lewisham Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Forest Cafe & Bistro?
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 Forest Cafe & Bistro compare to other places in Lewisham?
62% of the 2,007 rated food businesses in Lewisham hold the top rating of 5, while Forest Cafe & Bistro holds a 3. 235 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Lewisham Council inspects Forest Cafe & Bistro 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 Forest Cafe & Bistro and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Lewisham inspects and rates 2,473 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Lewisham →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/business/food-safety/Pages/default.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 →