cafe malabar food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Colchester
cafe malabar 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 11 November 2024, 20 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: Cafe Malabar, 36 North Station Road, Colchester, CO1 1RB
How it compares in Colchester
That puts cafe malabar among the 1,200 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 | 1,200 | 89% | ← cafe malabar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 83 | 6% | ||
| 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 Good
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 cafe malabar 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 cafe malabar, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buzz Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 30 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 June 2025 |
| Caprinos Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 37 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 May 2024 |
| Caprinos Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 37 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 May 2024 |
| Bar B Q House Takeaway/sandwich shop | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 September 2024 |
| Belle Vue Social Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 341 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2024 |
| Brunch Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 341 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 June 2025 |
| Adamexpo Limited Retailers - other | 411 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 November 2025 |
| Ask Italian Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 March 2025 |
Questions about cafe malabar
What is cafe malabar's food hygiene rating?
cafe malabar has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Colchester Council on 11 November 2024.
Is cafe malabar 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 cafe malabar last inspected?
cafe malabar was last inspected on 11 November 2024, 20 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 cafe malabar?
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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does cafe malabar compare to other places in Colchester?
89% of the 1,349 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, and cafe malabar is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Colchester Council inspects cafe malabar 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 cafe malabar and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
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 →