Lai Cha food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Lewisham
Lai Cha 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 25 April 2026, 2 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: 133A Deptford High Street, London, SE8 4NS
How it compares in Lewisham
That puts Lai Cha among the 1,249 places in Lewisham holding top marks, 62% 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 | 1,249 | 62% | ← Lai Cha | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 457 | 23% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 236 | 12% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 35 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 28 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 4 | <1% |
A further 449 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very 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 Lai Cha 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 Lai Cha, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 999 Club Trust T/A 999 Club Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 416 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 January 2026 |
| 18Grams Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 May 2026 |
| Angel Foodstuffs Ltd Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 March 2024 |
| Alpha Childcare Ltd Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 June 2025 |
| Alpha Childcare Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 September 2025 |
| Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 March 2025 |
| 15grams coffee house Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 February 2026 |
| Admiral Hardy Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 September 2025 |
Questions about Lai Cha
What is Lai Cha's food hygiene rating?
Lai Cha has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Lewisham Council on 25 April 2026.
Is Lai Cha 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 Lai Cha last inspected?
Lai Cha was last inspected on 25 April 2026, 2 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 Lai Cha?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very 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 Lai Cha compare to other places in Lewisham?
62% of the 2,009 rated food businesses in Lewisham hold the top rating of 5, and Lai Cha is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Lewisham Council inspects Lai Cha 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 Lai Cha 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 2,458 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 →