We all love to go out for a spot of dinner but we hope the food put in front of us has been cooked in a clean environment.

Yet there are 20 restaurants, bars and cafes in Kent which have been given a hygiene rating of zero or one from the Foods Standards Agency.

The hygiene ratings range from zero to five, with five meaning standards are very good and fully comply with the law.

Zero is at the bottom of the scale and means urgent improvement is necessary.

Only two eateries in the county had a zero rating - the Park Gate Inn in Maidstone and Yama's in Margate.

The worst offending areas were Thanet and Tunbridge Wells, each with four businesses rated either zero or one for hygiene.

Canterbury, Folkestone and Hythe, Dartford, Gravesham, Medway and Swale all had no low-rated firms.

See below the full list of each establishment, correct at the time of publishing on Wednesday, January 30.

Ashford

Just Desserts, Bank Street

Rating: One

The restaurant was inspected on December 6 last year.

Inspectors found improvement was necessary in hygienic food handling and in cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building but major improvement was necessary in the management of food safety at the eatery.

Dover

Cullins Yard, Cambridge Road

Rating: One

The restaurant was given a one rating on October 10 last year.

It was found to be generally satisfactory for hygienic food handling and cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building, but inspectors found in its management of food safety, major improvement was necessary.

The New Moonflower, High Street

Rating: One

The restaurant was inspected on October 25.

Inspectors found improvement was necessary in the Chinese restaurant's hygienic food handling and in the area of cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building but found major improvement necessary in the management of food safety.

A spokesman for the Chinese restaurant said: "We are waiting for another visit from the inspector and hope we will get a higher rating as we have improved."

Maidstone

Dusk 2 Dawn, King Street

Rating: One

The nightspot was given its rating on October 16.

Inspectors found hygienic food handling was good but cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building needed necessary improvement and management of food safety needed major improvement necessary.

Starburger, Week Street, Maidstone

Rating: One

This cafe was given its rating on July 24 last year.

Inspectors found it was generally satisfactory at hygienic food handling and needed major improvement necessary in cleanliness and condition of facilities and its building and inspectors found major improvement necessary in the management of food safety.

Park Gate Inn, Ashford Road

Rating: Zero

This pub was slapped with a zero rating when it was expected on August 28.

Inspectors found improvement was necessary in hygienic food handling, but major improvement was necessary in both cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building and management of food safety.

Sevenoaks

Anna's Cafe, Cherry Tree Nursery, Otford Road

Rating: One

This cafe by Richard and Sons Baker's Yard was inspected on October 23.

Inspectors found improvement was necessary in hygienic food handling and cleanliness and condition of facilities and its building, but found major improvement necessary in its management of food safety.

A spokesman for the cafe said: "I think it was an unfair judgement (the rating). I am in the middle of a refurbishment and the inspector didn't take that into account."

The Comodor, Market Square, Westerham

Rating: One

The restaurant was given its rating on January 18 last year.

It needed to improve its hygienic food handling, but cleanliness and condition of facilities and building were generally satisfactory.

However, inspectors found major improvement was necessary in its management of food safety.

Turners Cafe, The Corner Shop, Turners Place, East Hill

Rating: One

This place was last inspected on August 13, 2018.

The cafe was deemed to needed improvement in its hygienic food handling processes and its cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, but needed major improvement in its management of food safety.

Manager Tony Crowhurst said: "I have taken over since the inspection was done, so it is onwards and upwards and I am hoping we will have another inspection soon which will bring us back up (the ratings scale)."

Thanet

Do Dah's, High Street, Margate

Rating: One

This restaurant received its rating on November 26.

Inspectors found the business had very good hygienic food handling practices and the cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building were generally satisfactory, but major improvement was necessary in its management of food safety.

It is understood this business may no longer be trading.

La Chooza, in Harbour Street, Ramsgate

Rating: One

Inspectors visited this eatery on September 13.

Hygienic food handling at the business was very good and the cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building were good but management of food safety needed major improvement.

It is understood this business is currently closed for a refurbishment.

The Temperance Art Cafe, High Street, Ramsgate

Rating: One

The cafe was given a one rating on April 12.

Inspectors found hygienic food handling was good and cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building were generally satisfactory but food safety management at the business needed major improvement.

Yama's, High Street, Margate

Rating: Zero

This Thai eatery was given a zero rating on September 21.

Inspectors found major improvement was necessary in hygienic handling of food practices and cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building and urgent improvements were necessary in the management of food safety at the business.

Tonbridge and Malling

The Agra & Dhaka Tandoori, Holborough Road, Snodland

Rating: One

This restaurant was given an inspection on December 3.

Hygienic food handling standards needed improvement and the cleanliness and condition of facilities and its building were generally satisfactory but major improvements were needed in its management of food safety.

Ishakha, Sevenoaks Road, Borough Green

Rating: One

This Indian restaurant was inspected on December 10.

Inspectors found hygienic food handling at the business needed improvement as did cleanliness and condition of facilities and its building.

Major improvement was found to be necessary in staffs' handling of management of food safety.

The Vineyard, London Road, Wrotham Heath

Rating: One

This French-style restaurant was given a one rating on February 1 last year.

Hygienic food handling needed improvement as did cleanliness and condition of facilities and its building but management of food safety needed major improvements.

Tunbridge Wells

Gusta, Camden Road

Rating: One

This Italian spot was given its rating on November 30.

The Italian cafe's hygienic food handling at the business was found to be generally satisfactory.

Cleanliness and condition of facilities and its building saw improvement necessary and major improvements were necessary in the management of food safety.

A spokesman for Gusta said: "It (the rating) was not about the food hygiene it was about the property and we have made improvements and asked for another inspection."

Kai's Kitchen, Mount Pleasant Road

Rating: One

This restaurant was given its rating on May 18 last year.

Hygienic food handling at the business needed major improvement but inspectors found the cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building were good.

However, management of food safety at the eatery needed to see major improvement necessary.

A spokesman for the restaurant said: "The inspection was not fair. We had just opened and things were not in place.

"We have reapplied for another inspection."

Rustic Cafe, Crescent Road

Rating: One

A low hygiene rating was awarded here on May 4, 2018.

Hygienic food handling at the business was generally satisfactory, but improvement was necessary in cleanliness and condition of facilities and its building.

Major improvements were needed in its management of food safety.

Manager Hannah Wright, said: "We have had another inspection since then but she gave me another one rating.

She didn't like the decor and because I had not filled in the book (hygiene) for two days, she gave me that rating.

"It has nothing to do with the food."

The Water Margin, Mount Ephraim

Rating: One

This Chinese restaurant was last inspected on May 14.

Hygienic food handling was found to need major improvement necessary but the cleanliness and condition of facilities and building were generally satisfactory.

Inspectors found management of food safety needed major improvement.

A spokesman said: "We have improved since then. We always try and do our best."