So! Bar & Eats food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · North Yorkshire
So! Bar & Eats holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the pub met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 7 October 2025, 9 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: So! Bar & Eats 36 Otley Road, HG2 0DP
How it compares in North Yorkshire
That puts So! Bar & Eats among the 5,377 places in North Yorkshire holding top marks, 86% 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 | 5,377 | 86% | ← So! Bar & Eats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 540 | 9% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 211 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 54 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 49 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 827 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 So! Bar & Eats 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 So! Bar & Eats, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aire House Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 March 2025 |
| Co-operative Food Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 January 2026 |
| AAA Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 September 2023 |
| Cold Bath Deli Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 December 2024 |
| District Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 May 2026 |
| Cook Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 July 2023 |
| 17 Miles Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 October 2023 |
| Country Butcher -Harrogate Ltd Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2024 |
Questions about So! Bar & Eats
What is So! Bar & Eats's food hygiene rating?
So! Bar & Eats has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by North Yorkshire Council on 7 October 2025.
Is So! Bar & Eats 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 pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was So! Bar & Eats last inspected?
So! Bar & Eats was last inspected on 7 October 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Yorkshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at So! Bar & Eats?
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 So! Bar & Eats compare to other places in North Yorkshire?
86% of the 6,232 rated food businesses in North Yorkshire hold the top rating of 5, and So! Bar & Eats is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
North Yorkshire Council inspects So! Bar & Eats 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 So! Bar & Eats and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
So! Bar & Eats is one of 627 rated food businesses in Harrogate. See every hygiene rating in Harrogate →
North Yorkshire inspects and rates 7,059 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Yorkshire →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.northyorks.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 →