A new Mediterranean restaurant has won a battle to sell booze outside after neighbours raised concerns it would cause ‘intolerable noise’. The Quarter Kitchen opened in Barnes in February and can now sell alcohol from 11am to 10.30pm every day.
Richmond Council’s licensing committee granted the restaurant, at 190 Castelnau, the licence but slapped on extra conditions to address residents’ concerns. These include restricting the outside dining area, where customers can only be served booze while seated, to three tables with two seats each. It also must close at 9pm.
It comes after a neighbour told the committee on March 7 she objected to the restaurant’s plans to serve booze outside over concerns it would be too noisy. She said: “Over the past 20 years, neighbours have had to endure countless cases of public disturbance caused by noisy customers spilling out onto the street from the eight failed restaurants at 190 Castelnau. I say eight because the ninth and the last restaurant was not granted off-licence consumption and I personally experienced no noise or disturbance from my home next door to the restaurant.”
The plans received 17 written objections in total from neighbours, who also raised concerns serving alcohol outside late into the evening would cause a nuisance. One resident claimed noise from the venue would be “intolerable to the residents in the area”.
But applicant Doron Zilkha said most customers are local and he does not “encourage anything else but community spirit” in the restaurant. He said: “Our primary focus is about quality dining in attractive settings with tasteful dishes, accompanied with wine and drinks to be enjoyed responsibly with conversation over dinner. This is not to be an off-licence spirits wine or shop for takeaway alcohol.”
Mr Zilkha told the hearing he already runs three licensed premises which have not had any complaints, while customers of the new venue have given “nothing but incredible reviews and encouragement”. He added: “We are local, we are here to create something. I’ve seen the place empty for so long and there is a major desire to, by the council in fact, to actually enhance the parade and that’s what we’re looking to do.”
The committee ruled in a decision notice the extra conditions it added to the licence are “appropriate and proportionate” to address residents’ concerns. It said it could not consider the operation of the eight previous restaurants beyond these conditions.
The extra conditions also include a ban on any fumes or odours emanating from the venue that cause a nuisance to people nearby, while a supervisor must be present at the hours alcohol can be sold.
