It doesn’t matter if you’re dining in the finest establishment in town or simply popping tap into your local takeaway. You want to be comfortable that the establishments are clean, this will reduce the likelihood of you contracting food poisoning or another health issue.

Most restaurants will have a hygiene chart that shows how often the toilets are cleaned up. However, you are unlikely to find a chart showing how often or how clean the restaurant is.
That’s why it is so important to recognize the signs of a clean restaurant.

1. THE OUTSIDE

If the restaurant has an outside seating area take a moment to have a look. If you find that tables have not been cleared and there is food underneath them then there is a good chance that pests will be attracted to the area.

As pests carry a variety of diseases this is not something you will want around your food. It also raises questions about how hygienic the inside of the restaurant will be.

This is also a good opportunity to check whether the staff has the appropriate PPE workwear, if not you should consider going elsewhere.

2. LOOK UP

The next step is to look up as you enter the restaurant. While many restaurants will clean tables and the floor, they will often forget to clean the ceilings. This shows that they may not adopt the highest standard of cleaning possible, and you may wish to look further at the restaurant to establish whether it is clean or not.

As well as the ceiling it is a good idea to note that pictures on the wall if they have dust on them you can question if this is the same as the rest of the restaurant. This is particularly important if you or your family suffer from allergies.

3. THE BATHROOM

The bathroom in any establishment will tell you a huge amount about the cleanliness of the place you are visiting. A dirty bathroom indicates that the cleanliness is not taken seriously. It is likely that the same approach will be adopted across the rest of the restaurant.

This is particularly worrying if the staff use the same bathroom. If the staff is not concerned with cleanliness in their bathroom this suggests they will not be concerned with the cleanliness in the rest of the restaurant.

4. CHECK THE TABLE

Take a look at your table, there should be cutlery and other utensils waiting to be used. If these are not clean then you may want to investigate the restaurant further.

The table is your welcome to the restaurant, along with any servers that have greeted you, the better presented they are the more confident you can feel.

5. WATCH THE TABLE CLEARING

It’s not just important to see how quickly tables are cleared. You should also take a look at how those tables are being cleaned. The dishes should be removed and the table wiped over with a disinfectant spray.

If they are not being cleaned properly you don’t know what germs are being left to contaminate your food.
With a little practice, you can perform these checks instinctively and decide if your restaurant is clean enough before you even sit down.