5

Pizza Express food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · St Albans City

Pizza Express 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 4 February 2025, 17 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: 11-13 Verulam Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 4DA

How it compares in St Albans City

That puts Pizza Express among the 820 places in St Albans City holding top marks, 77% 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.

Every rated food business in St Albans City
5 out of 5 820 77% ← Pizza Express
4 out of 5 153 14%
3 out of 5 65 6%
2 out of 5 10 1%
1 out of 5 10 1%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 98 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Pizza Express 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 Pizza Express, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Darlish Ice Cream Takeaway/sandwich shop 45 yards away 5 - Very good 24 April 2024
Artist Locanda Bagutta Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 48 yards away 5 - Very good 18 October 2025
Centre 33 Other catering premises 87 yards away 5 - Very good 20 June 2024
Bellaccinos Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 98 yards away 5 - Very good 17 January 2026
Aloha Poke Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 111 yards away 5 - Very good 17 June 2026
Cross Street Centre Other catering premises 120 yards away 5 - Very good 10 October 2024
Caffe Nero Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 134 yards away 5 - Very good 12 June 2025
Boots UK Ltd Retailers - other 196 yards away 5 - Very good 19 December 2023

Questions about Pizza Express

What is Pizza Express's food hygiene rating?

Pizza Express has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by St Albans City Council on 4 February 2025.

Is Pizza Express 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 Pizza Express last inspected?

Pizza Express was last inspected on 4 February 2025, 17 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by St Albans City Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Pizza Express?

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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Pizza Express compare to other places in St Albans City?

77% of the 1,059 rated food businesses in St Albans City hold the top rating of 5, and Pizza Express is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

St Albans City Council inspects Pizza Express 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 Pizza Express 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

St Albans City inspects and rates 1,157 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in St Albans City

The official record is held by the council: http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/business/Health-and-safety/food-safety/foodHygieneRating.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 →