The Lakes Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Croydon
The Lakes Cafe holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
This is a fresh result: The Lakes Cafe was inspected on 22 May 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: Waterside Centre, 26 Avenue Road, South Norwood, SE25 4DX
How it compares in Croydon
In Croydon, 65% of rated places manage a 5, so The Lakes Cafe sits behind roughly 1,830 nearby businesses. 25% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,830 | 65% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 690 | 25% | ← The Lakes Cafe | |
| 3 out of 5 | 175 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 81 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 38 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 318 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 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 Lakes 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 Lakes Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Achieve Together Ltd Caring Premises | 208 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 March 2023 |
| Acacia Care Centre Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 April 2025 |
| 1885 Lounge Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 March 2024 |
| Apna Indian Cuisine Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 November 2024 |
| Anerley Day Nursery Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 June 2026 |
| Aldi Stores Limited Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 July 2018 |
| Asda Express / BP Service Station Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2025 |
| Anerley Arms Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2025 |
Questions about The Lakes Cafe
What is The Lakes Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Lakes Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Croydon Council on 22 May 2026.
Is The Lakes Cafe safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Lakes Cafe last inspected?
The Lakes Cafe was last inspected on 22 May 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Croydon Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Lakes 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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Lakes Cafe compare to other places in Croydon?
65% of the 2,815 rated food businesses in Croydon hold the top rating of 5, while The Lakes Cafe holds a 4. 690 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Croydon Council inspects The Lakes 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 Lakes 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
The Lakes Cafe is one of 220 rated food businesses in South Norwood. See every hygiene rating in South Norwood →
Croydon inspects and rates 3,133 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Croydon →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.croydon.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 →