ELS cafe bistro & bar food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Hackney
ELS cafe bistro & bar holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the restaurant that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 1 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: 50 Stoke Newington Road, Hackney, N16 7XB
How it compares in Hackney
A 2 is rare: only 77 of 2,220 rated places in Hackney score this low, about one in 29. By contrast 67% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,481 | 67% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 418 | 19% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 212 | 10% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 77 | 3% | ← ELS cafe bistro & bar | |
| 1 out of 5 | 28 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 4 | <1% |
A further 396 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 ELS cafe bistro & bar 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 ELS cafe bistro & bar, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abraco Dalston Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 76 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 March 2025 |
| Abla Dalston Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 228 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 August 2024 |
| 91 Bites Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 369 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 October 2025 |
| Adom Trading Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 January 2023 |
| Acqua 7 Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 November 2022 |
| AA Food Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 December 2025 |
| 01Adana Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 October 2025 |
| Abney Public Hall Ltd Other catering premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2026 |
Questions about ELS cafe bistro & bar
What is ELS cafe bistro & bar's food hygiene rating?
ELS cafe bistro & bar has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Hackney Council on 1 October 2025.
Is ELS cafe bistro & bar safe to eat at?
A 2 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 ELS cafe bistro & bar last inspected?
ELS cafe bistro & bar was last inspected on 1 October 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Hackney Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at ELS cafe bistro & bar?
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 ELS cafe bistro & bar compare to other places in Hackney?
67% of the 2,220 rated food businesses in Hackney hold the top rating of 5, while ELS cafe bistro & bar holds a 2. 77 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Hackney Council inspects ELS cafe bistro & bar 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 ELS cafe bistro & bar 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 Hackney, 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: Hackney
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Hackney inspects and rates 2,616 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Hackney →
The official record is held by the council: https://hackney.gov.uk/environmental-health#food
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 →