Mama Li food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Tower Hamlets
Mama Li 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
This is a fresh result: Mama Li was inspected on 8 June 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: 3 Rivington Walk, London, E22 3AB
How it compares in Tower Hamlets
A 2 is rare: only 86 of 2,846 rated places in Tower Hamlets score this low, about one in 33. By contrast 72% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,059 | 72% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 460 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 175 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 86 | 3% | ← Mama Li | |
| 1 out of 5 | 62 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 4 | <1% |
A further 311 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 Mama Li the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled. 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 Mama Li, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 640 East Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 297 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 June 2026 |
| AA Psychiatry Retailers - other | 327 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 May 2025 |
| Aizah Thai & Cafe, Spicy Wok Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 419 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2025 |
| A A Lyons Distributors/Transporters | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 February 2024 |
| Afikala Afrikana Distributors/Transporters | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 July 2024 |
| A H Cox (Billingsgate) Ltd Distributors/Transporters | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 October 2024 |
| Abokado Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 June 2024 |
| Acai Berry Canary Wharf Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 September 2025 |
Questions about Mama Li
What is Mama Li's food hygiene rating?
Mama Li has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Tower Hamlets Council on 8 June 2026.
Is Mama Li 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 Mama Li last inspected?
Mama Li was last inspected on 8 June 2026, a month 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 Mama Li?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Mama Li compare to other places in Tower Hamlets?
72% of the 2,846 rated food businesses in Tower Hamlets hold the top rating of 5, while Mama Li holds a 2. 86 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Tower Hamlets Council inspects Mama Li 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 Mama Li 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 3,157 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 →