Brooklyn, NY — Le Paddock, a French restaurant located at 1235 Prospect Avenue in Brooklyn, received a Grade B following a health inspection conducted on March 17, 2026. The restaurant posted a score of 26, placing it near the upper boundary of the B range and within two points of the Grade C threshold. Inspection data was released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 20, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors documented one critical violation during the March visit. The citation — Code 06D — found that a food contact surface was not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following activities during which contamination may have occurred.
Food contact surfaces include items such as cutting boards, prep tables, slicers, and utensils — equipment that comes into direct contact with food during preparation and service. Proper sanitation of these surfaces is considered a foundational component of food safety practice.
No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection.
Food Safety Context
Under NYC Health Code Article 81, food service establishments are required to maintain food contact surfaces in a clean and sanitary condition. The requirement aligns with FDA Food Code provisions that call for effective cleaning and sanitizing procedures following each use or any event that may introduce contamination.
Critical violations are weighted more heavily in the DOHMH scoring system because they carry a direct potential to contribute to foodborne illness. A single critical violation can add significantly to an establishment's total score. In this case, the single Code 06D citation contributed to a score that brought the restaurant to the upper limit of Grade B status.
A score of 26 is notable within the B range. While the restaurant did not cross into Grade C territory, the margin was narrow. DOHMH requires restaurants scoring 28 or above at an initial inspection to undergo a re-inspection to determine final grade assignment.
Inspection History
Le Paddock's inspection record over the past several years reflects variability in scores:
- 2025-08-08: Score 23 (Grade B)
- 2024-02-07: Score 7 (Grade A)
- 2023-05-10: Score 25 (Grade B)
- 2023-02-15: Score 16 (Grade B)
- 2022-09-15: Score 0 (Grade A)
The restaurant has not previously been closed by DOHMH based on available inspection records. Its scores have ranged from a perfect 0 to the current high of 26, suggesting inconsistency across inspection cycles. The two most recent inspections — August 2025 and March 2026 — have both landed in the upper half of the B range.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's letter grading system is based on the total score assigned during a DOHMH inspection:
- Grade A: Score of 0–13 points
- Grade B: Score of 14–27 points
- Grade C: Score of 28 or more points
Grades are required to be posted publicly at the restaurant entrance. Consumers can look up full inspection records, including violation details and historical scores, through the NYC OpenData portal or the DOHMH restaurant inspection search tool at nyc.gov/health.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Le Paddock including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.