Smarts Fish Bar food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · South Oxfordshire
Smarts Fish Bar holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The takeaway met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 17 March 2026, 3 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: 41 Upper High Street, Thame, Oxon, OX9 2DW
How it compares in South Oxfordshire
In South Oxfordshire, 71% of rated places manage a 5, so Smarts Fish Bar sits behind roughly 994 nearby businesses. 11% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 808 | 71% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 186 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 120 | 11% | ← Smarts Fish Bar | |
| 2 out of 5 | 17 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 116 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 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 Smarts Fish Bar 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 Smarts Fish Bar, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Old Nags Head Pub/bar/nightclub | 32 yards away | 4 - Good | 29 March 2022 |
| The Black Horse Pub/bar/nightclub | 64 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 June 2026 |
| Players Theatre Other catering premises | 74 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 February 2025 |
| The Chippy Takeaway/sandwich shop | 81 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 March 2025 |
| Aamore Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 96 yards away | 4 - Good | 14 January 2026 |
| Rumsey's Handmade Chocolates Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 101 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 January 2025 |
| Prezzo Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 104 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 September 2025 |
| COOK Retailers - other | 107 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 June 2026 |
Questions about Smarts Fish Bar
What is Smarts Fish Bar's food hygiene rating?
Smarts Fish Bar has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by South Oxfordshire Council on 17 March 2026.
Is Smarts Fish Bar safe to eat at?
A 3 means the takeaway met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was Smarts Fish Bar last inspected?
Smarts Fish Bar was last inspected on 17 March 2026, 3 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by South Oxfordshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Smarts Fish Bar?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Smarts Fish Bar compare to other places in South Oxfordshire?
71% of the 1,136 rated food businesses in South Oxfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while Smarts Fish Bar holds a 3. 120 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
South Oxfordshire Council inspects Smarts Fish 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 Smarts Fish Bar and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Smarts Fish Bar is one of 430 rated food businesses in Oxon. See every hygiene rating in Oxon →
South Oxfordshire inspects and rates 1,252 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in South Oxfordshire →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.southoxon.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 →