Bridge Street Bistro food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · North Hertfordshire
Bridge Street Bistro 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 5 June 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.
Only 2% of rated food businesses in North Hertfordshire score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all North Hertfordshire ratings →
Address: 26 Bridge Street, Hitchin, SG5 2DF
How this rating has changed
Bridge Street Bistro was re-inspected on 5 June 2026 and held its rating of 1.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 5 June 2026 | 1 1 | Held |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in North Hertfordshire
A 1 is rare: only 12 of 1,007 rated places in North Hertfordshire score this low, about one in 84. By contrast 78% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 789 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 149 | 15% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 45 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ← Bridge Street Bistro | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 123 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 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 Bridge Street Bistro 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 Bridge Street Bistro, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| BB's Bar Pub/bar/nightclub | 34 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 April 2024 |
| Food Rescue Hub CIC Retailers - other | 107 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 July 2022 |
| Bosphorus Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 146 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 February 2026 |
| Four Leaf Clover Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 146 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 February 2026 |
| Hitchin Coffee Lab Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 160 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 October 2025 |
| 27 Street, Bagels & Baguettes Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 174 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 July 2025 |
| Bridgetown Monroe Pub/bar/nightclub | 183 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2026 |
| Asda Supermarket Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 187 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 November 2025 |
Questions about Bridge Street Bistro
What is Bridge Street Bistro's food hygiene rating?
Bridge Street Bistro has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by North Hertfordshire Council on 5 June 2026.
Is Bridge Street Bistro 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 Bridge Street Bistro last inspected?
Bridge Street Bistro was last inspected on 5 June 2026, 3 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Hertfordshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Bridge Street Bistro?
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 "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Bridge Street Bistro compare to other places in North Hertfordshire?
78% of the 1,007 rated food businesses in North Hertfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while Bridge Street Bistro holds a 1. 12 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
North Hertfordshire Council inspects Bridge Street Bistro 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 Bridge Street Bistro 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 North Hertfordshire, 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: North Hertfordshire
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Bridge Street Bistro is one of 308 rated food businesses in Hitchin. See every hygiene rating in Hitchin →
North Hertfordshire inspects and rates 1,130 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Hertfordshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.north-herts.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 →