African Taste Restaurant food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Southend-On-Sea
African Taste Restaurant 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
The rating dates from 26 September 2024, 21 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: 420 London Road, Westcliff-On-Sea, Essex, SS0 9LA
How it compares in Southend-On-Sea
A 2 is rare: only 35 of 1,387 rated places in Southend-On-Sea score this low, about one in 40. By contrast 70% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 973 | 70% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 243 | 18% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 119 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 35 | 3% | ← African Taste Restaurant | |
| 1 out of 5 | 16 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 105 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- 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 African Taste Restaurant the inspector recorded concerns over the condition of the premises. 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 African Taste Restaurant, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anke's Tea And Coffee Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 99 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 September 2025 |
| Cake Box Southend Ltd Retailers - other | 347 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 May 2025 |
| Care In Style Caring Premises | 353 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 March 2024 |
| Alston Court Caring Premises | 377 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 October 2025 |
| Be My Guest Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 429 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 December 2024 |
| Cafe 316 Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 November 2025 |
| Astral Lodge Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 August 2025 |
| Britannia Lodge Nursing Home Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 July 2025 |
Questions about African Taste Restaurant
What is African Taste Restaurant's food hygiene rating?
African Taste Restaurant has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Southend-On-Sea Council on 26 September 2024.
Is African Taste Restaurant 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 African Taste Restaurant last inspected?
African Taste Restaurant was last inspected on 26 September 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Southend-On-Sea Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at African Taste Restaurant?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does African Taste Restaurant compare to other places in Southend-On-Sea?
70% of the 1,387 rated food businesses in Southend-On-Sea hold the top rating of 5, while African Taste Restaurant holds a 2. 35 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Southend-On-Sea Council inspects African Taste Restaurant 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 African Taste Restaurant 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 Southend-On-Sea, 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: Southend-On-Sea
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
African Taste Restaurant is one of 324 rated food businesses in Westcliff-on-Sea. See every hygiene rating in Westcliff-on-Sea →
Southend-On-Sea inspects and rates 1,492 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Southend-On-Sea →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.southend.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 →