Sambuca Restaurant food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Middlesbrough
Sambuca Restaurant 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 2 December 2025, 7 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: 202-206 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3QW
How it compares in Middlesbrough
That puts Sambuca Restaurant among the 868 places in Middlesbrough holding top marks, 84% 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 | 868 | 84% | ← Sambuca Restaurant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 81 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 42 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 23 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 13 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 133 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 Sambuca Restaurant 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 Sambuca Restaurant, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akbars Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 124 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2026 |
| Antalya Shawarma Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 217 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2024 |
| Abduls Cash and Carry Retailers - other | 217 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 October 2023 |
| Birdcage Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 July 2025 |
| Ayresome Primary School School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2026 |
| Best Buy Fisheries Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 May 2026 |
| Best Buy Food Store Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 February 2025 |
| AJ's Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 June 2025 |
Questions about Sambuca Restaurant
What is Sambuca Restaurant's food hygiene rating?
Sambuca Restaurant has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Middlesbrough Council on 2 December 2025.
Is Sambuca Restaurant 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 Sambuca Restaurant last inspected?
Sambuca Restaurant was last inspected on 2 December 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Middlesbrough Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Sambuca Restaurant?
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 Sambuca Restaurant compare to other places in Middlesbrough?
84% of the 1,030 rated food businesses in Middlesbrough hold the top rating of 5, and Sambuca Restaurant is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Middlesbrough Council inspects Sambuca Restaurant 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 Sambuca Restaurant and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Middlesbrough inspects and rates 1,163 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Middlesbrough →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.middlesbrough.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 →