5

The Four Candles food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Oxford City

The Four Candles 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 30 July 2024, 23 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.

Address: 51 - 53 George Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 2BE

How it compares in Oxford City

That puts The Four Candles among the 1,206 places in Oxford City holding top marks, 87% 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 Oxford City
5 out of 5 1,206 87% ← The Four Candles
4 out of 5 116 8%
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

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 Four Candles 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 Four Candles, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Banana Tree Oxford Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 78 yards away 5 - Very good 14 May 2024
Angrid Thai Canteen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 82 yards away 5 - Very good 13 November 2024
Bonn Square News Retailers - other 90 yards away 5 - Very good 18 July 2024
100% Pasta Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 121 yards away 5 - Very good 4 July 2024
Bbuona Other catering premises 121 yards away 5 - Very good 4 February 2026
Ask Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 188 yards away 5 - Very good 17 March 2026
Ashmolean Rooftop Restaurant And Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 219 yards away 5 - Very good 19 March 2026
Boots UK Ltd Retailers - other 328 yards away 5 - Very good 21 April 2022

Questions about The Four Candles

What is The Four Candles's food hygiene rating?

The Four Candles has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Oxford City Council on 30 July 2024.

Is The Four Candles 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 The Four Candles last inspected?

The Four Candles was last inspected on 30 July 2024, 23 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 Four Candles?

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 Four Candles compare to other places in Oxford City?

87% of the 1,381 rated food businesses in Oxford City hold the top rating of 5, and The Four Candles is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Oxford City Council inspects The Four Candles 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 Four Candles 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 1,537 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 →