Manhattan, NY — Leon's Bagels, a coffee and tea shop located at 169 Thompson Street in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood, received a score of 29 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 27, 2026, placing the establishment in Grade C territory. The inspection data was released publicly by DOHMH on March 30, 2026.
The score of 29 places the restaurant in the lowest publicly displayed grade tier under New York City's letter grading system, which assigns grades based on point totals accumulated from cited violations.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors documented one critical violation during the March 27 inspection. The citation was issued under Code 06C, which addresses the protection of food, supplies, and equipment from potential contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, and service.
Specifically, inspectors noted that condiments at the establishment were not provided in single-service containers and were not dispensed directly by the vendor. Under applicable food safety standards, condiments made available for self-service by customers are required to be individually portioned or dispensed in a controlled manner to prevent cross-contamination between patrons.
No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection cycle.
Food Safety Context
The cited violation falls under NYC Health Code Article 81, which governs food preparation and protection standards for food service establishments operating within the five boroughs. Article 81 aligns with provisions of the FDA Food Code, which establishes baseline federal guidance on minimizing contamination risk at the point of service.
Condiment handling is a recurring area of focus in food service inspections because shared or unprotected condiment containers can serve as transfer points for pathogens between customers. Single-service packaging or vendor-controlled dispensing reduces that exposure risk by limiting direct contact between the condiment and multiple individuals.
A critical violation, as defined by DOHMH, is one that poses a higher likelihood of contributing to foodborne illness if not corrected. Critical violations carry greater point values and weigh more heavily toward the establishment's final inspection score.
Inspection History
The March 27 inspection reflects a notable departure from the establishment's more recent performance record. Leon's Bagels posted a score of 12 — a Grade A — during a follow-up inspection on May 7, 2026, indicating the cited conditions had been addressed by that date.
The establishment's documented inspection record is as follows:
- 2026-05-07: Score 12 (Grade A)
- 2026-03-27: Score 29 (Grade C)
- 2026-01-15: Score 42 (Grade Z)
- 2025-12-02: Score 42
- 2024-03-27: Score 13 (Grade A)
- 2023-02-22: Score 3 (Grade A)
- 2022-08-18: Score 0 (Grade A)
- 2022-03-23: Score 33
The record shows a pattern of strong performance between 2022 and 2024, with Grade A scores and low point totals across multiple cycles. The January and December 2025 inspections each recorded a score of 42, indicating elevated violation counts during that period. The Grade Z designation associated with the January 2026 result is typically assigned when a score falls above Grade C thresholds and the establishment is still in an active inspection cycle, or when a grade has not yet been formally posted.
The May 2026 Grade A result suggests the establishment returned to compliance following the March inspection.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by DOHMH, translates inspection point totals into letter grades posted publicly at the establishment. Grades are determined as follows:
- A: Score of 0 to 13 points
- B: Score of 14 to 27 points
- C: Score of 28 points or more
Points are assigned per violation, with critical violations carrying higher point values than general violations. Establishments may request re-inspection or an administrative hearing to contest cited violations. If a restaurant scores in the B or C range on an initial inspection, DOHMH typically returns for a re-inspection cycle before a final grade is posted.
Consumers can look up current and historical inspection records for any NYC food service establishment through the DOHMH restaurant inspection search tool available on the official NYC.gov website. Records include all inspection dates, scores, violation codes, and grade history.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Leon's Bagels including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.