Nicos food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Causeway Coast and Glens
Nicos holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 10 March 2026, 4 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: Ballybrakes Road, Ballybrakes, Ballymoney, BT53 6LW
How it compares in Causeway Coast and Glens
A 1 is rare: only 3 of 1,321 rated places in Causeway Coast and Glens score this low, about one in 440. By contrast 89% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,173 | 89% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 110 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 26 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ← Nicos | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 135 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Nicos the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises and confidence in management. 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 Nicos, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three C’s Coffee Mobile caterer | 155 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 July 2023 |
| The Milk Parlour Manufacturers/packers | 387 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 August 2024 |
| Mao Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 November 2025 |
| Spar Milltown Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2026 |
| The Bottle Stop Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 September 2017 |
| Ground Espresso Bars Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 October 2024 |
| Pinetrees Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 February 2023 |
| Home Bargains Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 May 2026 |
Questions about Nicos
What is Nicos's food hygiene rating?
Nicos has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Causeway Coast and Glens Council on 10 March 2026.
Is Nicos safe to eat at?
A 1 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 Nicos last inspected?
Nicos was last inspected on 10 March 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Causeway Coast and Glens Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Nicos?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Nicos compare to other places in Causeway Coast and Glens?
89% of the 1,321 rated food businesses in Causeway Coast and Glens hold the top rating of 5, while Nicos holds a 1. 3 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Causeway Coast and Glens Council inspects Nicos 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 Nicos 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 1 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 Causeway Coast and Glens, 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: Causeway Coast and Glens
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Nicos is one of 526 rated food businesses in Antrim. See every hygiene rating in Antrim →
Causeway Coast and Glens inspects and rates 1,456 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Causeway Coast and Glens →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.causewaycoastandglens.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 →