Michelin-starred restaurant Semma was slapped with a slew of health department violations \u2013 including for not displaying its \u201cB\u201d grade for cleanliness to its \u201cA\u201d list customers, The Post has learned.<\/p>\n
The West Village South Indian spot, deemed one of the hardest reservations to get in the Big Apple<\/a>, was flagged for more than a dozen health violations during its last inspection in January \u2013 from \u201cinadequate\u201d personal cleanliness to food temperature issues and contamination concerns.\u00a0<\/p>\n The inspection also confirmed the eatery hadn\u2019t posted its \u201cB\u201d-rating outside for passersby to easily see, contrary to city regulations, according to the city website that makes the grades public<\/a>.<\/p>\n Michelin-starred restaurant Semma has been dinged by the health department for a slew of violations \u2013 including not displaying its city-issued, cleanliness-rating \u201cB\u201d letter grade. William C Lopez\/NY Post<\/p>\n A recent Post visit to the eatery still found the sign was nowhere to be found. It has maintained the rating since at least 2024.<\/p>\n A rep for Semma denied that the eatery was hiding its B-rating, claiming that the letter grade was properly posted outside \u2013 while blasting the health department for \u201cbacked up\u201d inspections in the same breath.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder DOH\u2019s own inspection cycle, a B-graded establishment is scheduled for reinspection roughly 5 to 7 months after its last visit \u2014 Semma is within that window now,\u201d he said. \u201cIf the timing here reads as unusual, that\u2019s a function of how the city schedules re-inspections, not anything Semma has done.<\/p>\n \u201cWe run a good operation, and a clean operation,\u201d the rep added when asked about the signage.<\/p>\n But visits to the restaurant \u2013 and even a Reddit thread from January<\/a> \u2013 show the sign either tucked away in a window corner or completely out of view.<\/p>\n A rep for Semma denied that the eatery was hiding its B-rating. William C Lopez\/NY Post<\/p>\n The city\u2019s health department requires all restaurants to display their grades in clear view of passersby, and at all times.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLove a nice little concealment,\u201d one Reddit user wrote in the caption of a photo showing the sign hidden in a tiny window corner obscured from the street.<\/p>\n \u201cThey make it impossible to get into and with [a] cost upwards of 100pp the least they could do is get their god damn health rating in line,\u201d the user fumed. \u201cSo much for having a [Michelin] star.\u201d<\/p>\n When confronted with the findings, a manager at the site clarified its 8 x 11 letter grade is typically visible \u2014 and confirmed it\u2019s posted on a tiny side window to the left.<\/p>\n Still, the worker hastily moved it to a street-facing front window after a Post reporter\u2019s inquiry.<\/p>\n A manager admitted Semma\u2019s 8 x 11 letter grade is typically visible and posted on a tiny side window to the left.\u00a0 William C Lopez\/NY Post<\/p>\n The news comes months after The Post revealed fellow buzzy A-lister restaurant Carbone was dinged with a slew of violations resulting in a B rating \u2013 and a similar out-of-sight sign.<\/a><\/p>\n