The Rice Box food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Oxford City
The Rice Box holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 20 November 2025, 7 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: 178 Cowley Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1UE
How it compares in Oxford City
In Oxford City, 87% of rated places manage a 5, so The Rice Box sits behind roughly 1,205 nearby businesses. 8% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,205 | 87% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 116 | 8% | ← The Rice Box | |
| 3 out of 5 | 32 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 4 | <1% |
A further 156 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 The Rice Box 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 Rice Box, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alders Butchers Retailers - other | 174 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 July 2025 |
| Afghan Cuisine Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 203 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 November 2024 |
| Antep Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 235 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 November 2025 |
| Bodrum Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 235 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 July 2025 |
| Cafe Baba Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 235 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 September 2024 |
| Bigfoot Pub/bar/nightclub | 334 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2026 |
| Amigos Burritos Mexican Kitchen Other catering premises | 427 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2026 |
| Arbequina Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 November 2025 |
Questions about The Rice Box
What is The Rice Box's food hygiene rating?
The Rice Box has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Oxford City Council on 20 November 2025.
Is The Rice Box safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Rice Box last inspected?
The Rice Box was last inspected on 20 November 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Oxford City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Rice Box?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Rice Box compare to other places in Oxford City?
87% of the 1,380 rated food businesses in Oxford City hold the top rating of 5, while The Rice Box holds a 4. 116 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Oxford City Council inspects The Rice Box 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 Rice Box and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Oxford City inspects and rates 1,536 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Oxford City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.oxford.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 →