I challenged myself to try one of Watford’s worst rated cafes for food hygiene and was surprised by what I found.

Portuguese eatery Gabriel’s By Vitor Galiano said it was "very disappointed" when it was handed a ‘major improvement necessary’ following a Watford Borough Council health inspection in March.

I went down to the Vicarage Road café to look beyond the rating and see if things were really as bad as they sounded.

The food

I’ve never properly tried Portuguese food so I went for one dish that seemed interesting: the "francesinha".

Hailing from the north-western city Porto, it is a large sandwich featuring several layers of steak, ham and sausages.

I went to one of Watford's worst rated cafes for food hygiene.I went to one of Watford's worst rated cafes for food hygiene. (Image: Newsquest)

The bread is then topped with a fried egg and melted cheese, and covered in "molho de francesinha", a specific local sauce made from tomatoes and beer sauce. 

Although not the most delicate dish, I thought it had a great mix of intense, savoury flavours.

The different cooked meats worked well together and were complimented by the layer of melted cheese, which was similar in taste and texture to mozzarella.

I tried the francesinha, a traditional sandwich from northern Portugal.I tried the francesinha, a traditional sandwich from northern Portugal. (Image: Newsquest) I wasn’t sure what to expect from the tomato and beer sauce, but I ended up enjoying it as it had a tangy taste which could be compared to a more familiar flavour like Worcestershire sauce. 

The café

A Gabriel’s spokesperson previously told the Watford Observer that they were “very disappointed” with the rating when health inspectors judged that the management of food safety needed ‘major improvement’. 

Inside Gabriel’s By Vitor Galiano in Vicarage Road.Inside Gabriel’s By Vitor Galiano in Vicarage Road. (Image: Newsquest)

The eatery said the inspection in March came after it shut for two weeks for renovations and they had not been able to find certain documents at the time.

When I visited Gabriel’s last week, I found a clean and bright café with welcoming service and a smart interior.

The eatery closed for two weeks for renovations before the health inspection in March.The eatery closed for two weeks for renovations before the health inspection in March. (Image: Gabriel’s By Vitor Galiano) Although I was initially the first person to arrive on a weekday lunchtime, there was a friendly atmosphere as it soon began to fill up with customers coming for its other hot dishes and sandwiches.

The verdict

The main lesson from my visit to Gabriel’s By Vitor Galiano is that food hygiene ratings don’t always tell the whole story, as I had a good time trying a traditional Portuguese dish at the friendly eatery.

The café is waiting to be regraded since it was revisited by the borough council on April 30 and when its new score is released, I am sure it will reflect the quality of the meal that I enjoyed there.