Balade

• gradeGrade A ⏳
• grade postedFebruary 11, 2025
• inspection score54 pts
• critical violations6
• last inspectedSeptember 15, 2026 →
• address208 1 Avenue, Manhattan 10009
• cuisineMediterranean
• phone2125296868

Is Balade clean?

Balade currently carries Grade A ⏳ from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). It was posted on February 11, 2025 and still stands. The place has been inspected again since — on September 15, 2026 scoring 54 points — but NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has not ruled on that visit, so no new grade has been issued. Inspectors wrote up 6 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder the posted grade reads clean 😇; the numbers above come from the newer visit.

What did inspectors find at Balade?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on September 15, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🗑️garbage situation out of pocket
  Pesticide not properly labeled or used by unlicensed individual. Pesticide, other toxic chemical improperly used/stored. Unprotected, unlocked bait station used.
• 🍽️food left out / unprotectedcritical
  Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor.
• ⚠️Food Protection Certificate not available for inspection
• 🍴utensils stored sketchycritical
  Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
• 🧼staff skipping handwashingcritical
  Personal cleanliness is inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn where required. Jewelry worn on hands or arms. Fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.
• 🛠️facility / equipment issue
  Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
• 🍲hot food sitting too coolcritical
  Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
• ⚠️Equipment used for ROP not approved by the Department
• 🧫equipment / surface issue
  Wash hands sign not posted near or above hand washing sink.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Anti-siphonage or back-flow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly. Condensation or liquid waste improperly disposed of.
• 🌡️fridge is giving… room tempcritical
  Cold TCS food item held above 41 °F; smoked or processed fish held above 38 °F; intact raw eggs held above 45 °F; or reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS foods held above required temperatures except during active necessary preparation.
• 🧤food-handling slipcritical
  HACCP plan not approved or approved HACCP plan not maintained on premises.
• 🧫equipment / surface issue
  Thawing procedure improper.

When was Balade last inspected?

Balade has 5 inspections on record going back to November 3, 2022, averaging 18 points.

Graded visits shown below · newest first · tap a date for the record

Balade vs East Village

East Village runs 76% clean across 754 tracked restaurants — 487 clean, 48 mid, 109 cooked.

Against the 754 spots Cooked tracks in East Village, this one comes out cleaner than 77% of them.

Other spots in East Village

• A The Immigrant Wine Bar
  clean · December 30, 2025
• A Mcdonald's
  clean · December 31, 2025
• A Bar Verde
  clean · November 12, 2025
• A Amor Y Amargo / Avant Garden
  clean · October 29, 2025
• A Downtown Social
  clean · May 19, 2026
• B One And One
  mid · July 15, 2025

See every restaurant inspection in East Village →

How New York grades restaurants

New York City health inspectors score violations in points, and lower is better: 0–13 points earns an A, 14–27 a B, and 28 or more a C. Every restaurant is inspected at least once a year, and the letter has to be posted in the window. A restaurant that scores 14 or more on the first inspection of a cycle does not get a letter right away — it stays “Grade Pending” until a re-inspection settles it, which is why some spots here show an hourglass instead of a letter. Cooked only ever shows a letter the city actually posted; we never infer one from a score.

Read the New York ratings guide →

Inspection findings and available history come from the authority’s published records. Cooked checks daily; publication can lag behind an inspection. Read the date on each result and check the official source for newer information.

Source: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) via NYC Open Data. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated September 15, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

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Cooked covers 10 cities on official inspection data — see who's clean, mid, or cooked near you.