The Zoo Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Torbay
The Zoo Cafe holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 22 October 2025, 8 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: 81 Babbacombe Road Torquay, TQ1 3SR
How it compares in Torbay
A 1 is rare: only 31 of 1,160 rated places in Torbay score this low, about one in 37. By contrast 80% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 933 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 144 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 39 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 31 | 3% | ← The Zoo Cafe | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 361 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 Major improvement necessary
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 The Zoo Cafe the inspector recorded concerns over confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to The Zoo Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babbacombe Deli Retailers - other | 52 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 October 2025 |
| Daisy's Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 52 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2025 |
| Ben Mei Cantonese Takeaway Takeaway/sandwich shop | 86 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 March 2025 |
| Angels Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 135 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 June 2026 |
| Babbacombe Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 152 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 February 2025 |
| Choice Care Home Caring Premises | 226 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 June 2025 |
| Cary Lodge Care Home Caring Premises | 269 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2025 |
| Cliff Railway Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 387 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 December 2025 |
Questions about The Zoo Cafe
What is The Zoo Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Zoo Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Torbay Council on 22 October 2025.
Is The Zoo Cafe safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was The Zoo Cafe last inspected?
The Zoo Cafe was last inspected on 22 October 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Torbay Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Zoo Cafe?
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 "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Zoo Cafe compare to other places in Torbay?
80% of the 1,160 rated food businesses in Torbay hold the top rating of 5, while The Zoo Cafe holds a 1. 31 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Torbay Council inspects The Zoo 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 The Zoo Cafe 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 →
Is this your business?
A rating of 1 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Torbay, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Torbay
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Torbay inspects and rates 1,521 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Torbay →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.torbay.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 →