Michelin-starred restaurant Dabbous was 'infested with mice'

Michelin inspectors said Dabbous' food has an 'elegantly restrained finesse and a bewitching purity.'

A Michelin-starred restaurant, which was closed due to a mouse infestation, is one of 300 London food outlets to receive a zero food hygiene rating.

Dabbous shut for a week in August to allow pest controllers to block up mouse holes in the building.

The Food Standards Agency released a breakdown of its most recent ratings to mark the fifth anniversary of the scheme.

It "doesn't reflect the hygiene levels we practise," said owner Ollie Dabbous.

A zero rating means urgent improvement is necessary.

Michelin guide inspectors gave Dabbous a single star for its "very good" food which it said comes with an "elegantly restrained finesse and a bewitching purity".

Camden Council said its environmental health inspectors had visited Dabbous in the summer and it was voluntarily closed "due to a mouse infestation".

"We are not aware of any other issues at the site. In line with standard council procedure we will be undertaking another inspection in the near future."

The restaurant reopened days after the inspectors' visit.

Re-inspection requested

Mr Dabbous, owner of the restaurant in Whitfield Street, central London, described the rating as "incredibly disappointing given we had five stars for three years previously.

"We are a situated in an old building in central London, so pest control is something that quite literally goes with the territory," he told BBC London. "We did have some concerns and were unhappy with the services provided by our previous pest controller.

"We axed them just a few weeks prior to the inspection and immediately instated a new one, but unfortunately we could not remedy the situation in time."

Thousands of pounds were spent sealing off all access points, he said.

"We are confident our next inspection will be a totally different story and have asked for a re-inspection as soon as possible."