The Lounge food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · West Suffolk
The Lounge 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 October 2025, 8 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: 2 Hatter Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1LZ
How it compares in West Suffolk
In West Suffolk, 91% of rated places manage a 5, so The Lounge sits behind roughly 1,440 nearby businesses. 2% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,349 | 91% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 91 | 6% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 25 | 2% | ← The Lounge | |
| 2 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 241 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 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 The Lounge 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 The Lounge, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellota Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 78 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2025 |
| Angel News Retailers - other | 89 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 December 2025 |
| Caffe Nero Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 89 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 July 2024 |
| Baileys 2 Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 102 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 January 2026 |
| Blend Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 123 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 December 2024 |
| Cote Brasserie Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 123 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 July 2024 |
| Damson & Wilde Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 123 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 April 2024 |
| Cornish Bakery Manufacturers/packers | 128 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 December 2024 |
Questions about The Lounge
What is The Lounge's food hygiene rating?
The Lounge has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by West Suffolk Council on 19 October 2025.
Is The Lounge 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 The Lounge last inspected?
The Lounge was last inspected on 19 October 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by West Suffolk Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Lounge?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Lounge compare to other places in West Suffolk?
91% of the 1,483 rated food businesses in West Suffolk hold the top rating of 5, while The Lounge holds a 3. 25 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
West Suffolk Council inspects The Lounge 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 The Lounge and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Lounge is one of 384 rated food businesses in Bury St Edmunds. See every hygiene rating in Bury St Edmunds →
West Suffolk inspects and rates 1,724 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in West Suffolk →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.westsuffolk.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 →