Dark Spring Coffee food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Hackney
Dark Spring Coffee 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 29 May 2024, more than 2 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.
Address: Dalston Junction Station Dalston Lane, Hackney, E8 3DE
How it compares in Hackney
In Hackney, 66% of rated places manage a 5, so Dark Spring Coffee sits behind roughly 1,892 nearby businesses. 10% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,470 | 66% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 422 | 19% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 215 | 10% | ← Dark Spring Coffee | |
| 2 out of 5 | 78 | 4% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 28 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 5 | <1% |
A further 395 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 Dark Spring Coffee 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 Dark Spring Coffee, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acqua 7 Retailers - other | 89 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 November 2022 |
| Adom Trading Retailers - other | 303 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 January 2023 |
| 91 Bites Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 371 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 October 2025 |
| Abla Dalston Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 August 2024 |
| 392 Kingsland Road Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 October 2024 |
| Abraco Dalston Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 March 2025 |
| 01Adana Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 October 2025 |
| AA Food Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 December 2025 |
Questions about Dark Spring Coffee
What is Dark Spring Coffee's food hygiene rating?
Dark Spring Coffee has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Hackney Council on 29 May 2024.
Is Dark Spring Coffee 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 Dark Spring Coffee last inspected?
Dark Spring Coffee was last inspected on 29 May 2024, more than 2 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Hackney Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Dark Spring Coffee?
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 Dark Spring Coffee compare to other places in Hackney?
66% of the 2,218 rated food businesses in Hackney hold the top rating of 5, while Dark Spring Coffee holds a 3. 215 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Hackney Council inspects Dark Spring Coffee 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 Dark Spring Coffee and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Hackney inspects and rates 2,613 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Hackney →
The official record is held by the council: https://hackney.gov.uk/environmental-health#food
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 →