Rica's food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Canterbury City
Rica's holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 14 April 2026, 2 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: 31 Harbour Street, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1AJ
How it compares in Canterbury City
In Canterbury City, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so Rica's sits behind roughly 1,161 nearby businesses. 12% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,161 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 185 | 12% | ← Rica's | |
| 3 out of 5 | 120 | 8% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 166 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 Good
- How well they manage food safety 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 Rica's 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 Rica's, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lazy Lobster Pub/bar/nightclub | 30 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 June 2024 |
| Lotties Sweet Creams Manufacturers/packers | 47 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 August 2024 |
| Harbour News Retailers - other | 49 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 December 2023 |
| Harbour Street Fish Bar Takeaway/sandwich shop | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 October 2025 |
| David Brown Delicatessen Retailers - other | 61 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 July 2024 |
| HoneyKanes Ltd Retailers - other | 61 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 June 2025 |
| Harbour Street Tapas Takeaway/sandwich shop | 81 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 February 2025 |
| A La Turka Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 95 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 August 2024 |
Questions about Rica's
What is Rica's's food hygiene rating?
Rica's has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Canterbury City Council on 14 April 2026.
Is Rica's safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Rica's last inspected?
Rica's was last inspected on 14 April 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Canterbury City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Rica's?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Rica's compare to other places in Canterbury City?
78% of the 1,483 rated food businesses in Canterbury City hold the top rating of 5, while Rica's holds a 4. 185 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Canterbury City Council inspects Rica's 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 Rica's 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
Rica's is one of 294 rated food businesses in Whitstable. See every hygiene rating in Whitstable →
Canterbury City inspects and rates 1,649 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Canterbury City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.canterbury.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 →