5

The Raj food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · York

The Raj holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 5 November 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: 21-23 Bootham, York, YO30 7BW

How it compares in York

That puts The Raj among the 1,378 places in York holding top marks, 74% 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.

Every rated food business in York
5 out of 5 1,378 74% ← The Raj
4 out of 5 314 17%
3 out of 5 106 6%
2 out of 5 38 2%
1 out of 5 17 1%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 297 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Raj 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 The Raj, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Bar Hashery Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 65 yards away 5 - Very good 11 April 2024
Alys Bakery Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 130 yards away 5 - Very good 21 April 2026
22 Yards Wine Bar & Merchant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 134 yards away 5 - Very good 21 May 2026
Bennetts Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 141 yards away 5 - Very good 17 December 2025
Best Western Plus Dean Court Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house 186 yards away 5 - Very good 9 April 2026
Baileys Cafe & Tea Rooms Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 291 yards away 5 - Very good 6 June 2024
Airden House Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house 306 yards away 5 - Very good 9 July 2019
ASK Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 316 yards away 5 - Very good 15 October 2024

Questions about The Raj

What is The Raj's food hygiene rating?

The Raj has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by York Council on 5 November 2025.

Is The Raj 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 restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Raj last inspected?

The Raj was last inspected on 5 November 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by York Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Raj?

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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Raj compare to other places in York?

74% of the 1,854 rated food businesses in York hold the top rating of 5, and The Raj is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

York Council inspects The Raj 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 Raj and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

York inspects and rates 2,151 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in York

The official record is held by the council: http://www.york.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 →