Manhattan, NY — Fresh Kitchen, a American restaurant located at 265 Madison Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, received a score of 31 following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on April 2, 2026. A score of 31 places the restaurant in Grade C territory under the city's letter-grade system. Inspection data was released publicly by DOHMH on April 6, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented two critical violations during the April 2 visit. No non-critical violations were recorded.

The first critical violation, cited under Code 06C, identified that food, supplies, or equipment were not adequately protected from potential sources of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, or service. Specifically, condiments were found not to be in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor — a condition that creates risk of cross-contamination between customers.

The second critical violation, cited under Code 04H, recorded that raw, cooked, or prepared food was adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with the restaurant's Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan. HACCP plans are required under city and federal guidelines as a systematic approach to identifying and controlling food safety hazards throughout the handling process.

Neither violation resulted in a closure order at the time of inspection.

Food Safety Context

Under NYC Health Code Article 81, all food service establishments operating in New York City are required to maintain safe food handling practices that prevent contamination at every stage — from storage and preparation through service to the customer. The Code 04H violation in particular relates to requirements outlined in both Article 81 and the FDA Food Code, which establish that food must be protected from contamination by raw animal products, chemicals, unsanitary surfaces, and improper temperature control.

Condiment handling, addressed under Code 06C, is a frequently cited violation across the city's restaurant inspections. The concern centers on communal condiment containers that may be touched by multiple customers without sanitization between uses, creating a potential vector for contamination. Single-service packaging or direct vendor dispensing is the compliant standard.

Critical violations are those that pose a direct risk to public health and are weighted more heavily in scoring than non-critical violations. Each critical violation carries a higher point value under the DOHMH scoring matrix, which is why two critical violations alone produced a score of 31.

Inspection History

Fresh Kitchen's recent inspection record shows a pattern of elevated scores over the past several months:

  • March 26, 2026: Score 31 (Grade C)
  • January 30, 2026: Score 38
  • July 3, 2024: Score 4 (Grade A)
  • May 19, 2023: Score 8 (Grade A)
  • April 10, 2023: Score 26

The restaurant previously maintained strong compliance through mid-2024, earning Grade A scores in both its 2023 and 2024 inspections. The January 2026 inspection, which produced a score of 38, represented a significant departure from that record. The April 2, 2026 inspection — the subject of this report — is the second consecutive Grade C-range result.

The March 26, 2026 result listed above reflects a separate inspection cycle from the April 2 visit and carries the same score of 31.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's letter-grade system is based on points assigned during unannounced DOHMH inspections. Lower scores indicate fewer violations and better compliance. The grading scale is as follows:

  • Grade A: Score of 0 to 13 points
  • Grade B: Score of 14 to 27 points
  • Grade C: Score of 28 points or higher

Restaurants that receive a Grade B or Grade C on an initial inspection are typically offered a re-inspection before a letter grade is officially posted. During the window between inspections, establishments may display a "Grade Pending" card. The grade posted in the restaurant window reflects the most recently adjudicated inspection result.

Consumers can look up inspection records for any city restaurant through the DOHMH's online search tool at nyc.gov/health, which includes full violation details, scores, and grade history going back several years.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Fresh Kitchen including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.