The Boathouse Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Plymouth City
The Boathouse Cafe holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant 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 7 May 2026, 2 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: 2-5 Commercial Wharf, Madeira Road, Plymouth, PL1 2NX
How it compares in Plymouth City
In Plymouth City, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so The Boathouse Cafe sits behind roughly 1,468 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,270 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 198 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 97 | 6% | ← The Boathouse Cafe | |
| 2 out of 5 | 20 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 34 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 11 | 1% |
A further 153 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 The Boathouse Cafe 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 Boathouse Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfresco! Mobile caterer | 81 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 July 2023 |
| B Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 115 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 December 2024 |
| Armado Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 181 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 June 2026 |
| Barbican Botanics Gin Room Pub/bar/nightclub | 198 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 March 2024 |
| Barbican Fish Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 223 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 April 2025 |
| Cafe Roma Madeira Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 357 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 July 2023 |
| Bonne Sante Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 358 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 July 2025 |
| Barbican Kitchen Brasserie Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 366 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 April 2026 |
Questions about The Boathouse Cafe
What is The Boathouse Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Boathouse Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Plymouth City Council on 7 May 2026.
Is The Boathouse Cafe safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant 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 The Boathouse Cafe last inspected?
The Boathouse Cafe was last inspected on 7 May 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Plymouth City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Boathouse Cafe?
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 The Boathouse Cafe compare to other places in Plymouth City?
78% of the 1,630 rated food businesses in Plymouth City hold the top rating of 5, while The Boathouse Cafe holds a 3. 97 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Plymouth City Council inspects The Boathouse Cafe 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 Boathouse Cafe and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Plymouth City inspects and rates 1,783 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Plymouth City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.plymouth.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 →