First Light Bar and Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Dover
First Light Bar and Cafe 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 15 August 2024, 22 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: 1 The Droveway, St Margarets Bay, CT15 6DH
How it compares in Dover
That puts First Light Bar and Cafe among the 892 places in Dover holding top marks, 82% 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 | 892 | 82% | ← First Light Bar and Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 114 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 45 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 18 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 15 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 112 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 First Light Bar and Cafe 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 First Light Bar and Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Pines Garden Tea Rooms Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 410 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 March 2024 |
| The Pines Calyx Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 415 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 May 2024 |
| Portal House School School/college/university | 421 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 November 2025 |
| The Coastguard Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 August 2024 |
| The Smugglers Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 1 - Major improvement necessary | 16 March 2026 |
| St Margaret's Bowls And Social Club Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2024 |
| Mrs Knotts Tea Room Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 May 2023 |
| National Trust South Foreland Lighthouse Retailers - other | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 May 2023 |
Questions about First Light Bar and Cafe
What is First Light Bar and Cafe's food hygiene rating?
First Light Bar and Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dover Council on 15 August 2024.
Is First Light Bar and Cafe 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 First Light Bar and Cafe last inspected?
First Light Bar and Cafe was last inspected on 15 August 2024, 22 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dover Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at First Light Bar and Cafe?
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 First Light Bar and Cafe compare to other places in Dover?
82% of the 1,086 rated food businesses in Dover hold the top rating of 5, and First Light Bar and Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Dover Council inspects First Light Bar and Cafe 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 First Light Bar and Cafe and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Dover inspects and rates 1,198 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dover →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.dover.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 →