Bongo Bazaar food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Tower Hamlets
Bongo Bazaar holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the shop that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 31 July 2025, 11 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: 441 Roman Road, London, E3 5LX
How it compares in Tower Hamlets
A 2 is rare: only 86 of 2,850 rated places in Tower Hamlets score this low, about one in 33. By contrast 73% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,067 | 73% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 459 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 172 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 86 | 3% | ← Bongo Bazaar | |
| 1 out of 5 | 62 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 4 | <1% |
A further 312 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 Improvement necessary
- 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 Bongo Bazaar the inspector recorded concerns over the condition of the premises. 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 Bongo Bazaar, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'Ello Bagel Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 April 2025 |
| Ahmed Grocery Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 August 2024 |
| Akdeniz Artisan Bakery Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 November 2024 |
| Accent Catering Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 July 2025 |
| 13Express Roman Rd Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 August 2025 |
| Ace Pizza Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 November 2025 |
| 5th Avenue Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 April 2025 |
| 450 Degrees Mobile caterer | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 October 2024 |
Questions about Bongo Bazaar
What is Bongo Bazaar's food hygiene rating?
Bongo Bazaar has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Tower Hamlets Council on 31 July 2025.
Is Bongo Bazaar safe to eat at?
A 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The shop 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 Bongo Bazaar last inspected?
Bongo Bazaar was last inspected on 31 July 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Tower Hamlets Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Bongo Bazaar?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Bongo Bazaar compare to other places in Tower Hamlets?
73% of the 2,850 rated food businesses in Tower Hamlets hold the top rating of 5, while Bongo Bazaar holds a 2. 86 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Tower Hamlets Council inspects Bongo Bazaar 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 Bongo Bazaar 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 2 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 Tower Hamlets, 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: Tower Hamlets
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Tower Hamlets inspects and rates 3,162 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Tower Hamlets →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.towerhamlets.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 →