Riverway Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Harlow
Riverway Cafe 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
This is a fresh result: Riverway Cafe was inspected on 14 May 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: Ozdil House, River Way, Harlow, CM20 2DR
How it compares in Harlow
A 1 is rare: only 5 of 611 rated places in Harlow score this low, about one in 122. By contrast 81% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 497 | 81% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 78 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 25 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 4 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | 1% | ← Riverway Cafe | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 76 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 Riverway Cafe the inspector recorded concerns over 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 Riverway Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body Active Health & Fitness Limited Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 March 2024 |
| Dee Dees Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 May 2025 |
| Costa At Tesco Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 March 2017 |
| Chaseways (Residential Home) Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 October 2025 |
| Farmfoods Ltd Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 April 2021 |
| Cornish Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2025 |
| Elivide Ltd Distributors/Transporters | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2026 |
| Barserve Co Ltd Mobile caterer | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 July 2019 |
Questions about Riverway Cafe
What is Riverway Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Riverway Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Harlow Council on 14 May 2026.
Is Riverway Cafe 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 Riverway Cafe last inspected?
Riverway Cafe was last inspected on 14 May 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Harlow Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Riverway Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", 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 Riverway Cafe compare to other places in Harlow?
81% of the 611 rated food businesses in Harlow hold the top rating of 5, while Riverway Cafe holds a 1. 5 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Harlow Council inspects Riverway 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 Riverway Cafe 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 Harlow, 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: Harlow
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Harlow inspects and rates 687 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Harlow →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.harlow.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 →