Tanya Restaurant, in High Road Leytonstone will now close at 1am on weekends, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

Tanya Restaurant in Leytonstone High Road, Credit: Google Streetview

A restaurant in Leytonstone will be allowed to close later and serve alcohol to customers, despite warnings from the police.

Magdal Ltd, the owner of Tanya Restaurant, in High Road, successfully applied to Waltham Forest Council at a licensing meeting today (19th June).

The restaurant will now close at 11pm on weekdays, 1am on weekends, and midnight on Sundays. Current closing times are 10pm on weekdays and 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Alcohol will be served until 10.30pm Mondays through Thursdays, and until 12.30am on weekends and 11.30pm on Sundays.

Its request to serve alcohol was challenged by the Metropolitan Police, which often objects to such bids in an effort to minimise antisocial behaviour and public disorder.

In a formal letter sent to the council, PC Kelly-Ann Tilley said the area already faced “considerable issues with street drinking and antisocial behaviour, in addition to crime”.

She said the operating schedule was detailed enough and did not feel confident the restaurant would prevent crime and disorder and protect children from potential harm.

Despite their concerns about the application, no representative from the force attended the meeting.

A representative from the Tanya Restaurant which specialises in Moldovan, Romanian and Russian cuisine.

The committee the venue was “not a bar” but “just a little restaurant, a family restaurant”.

She said it was somewhere “business people could eat lunch” and was suitable for children and their families.

She added that she “understood everything” about licensing, including security, serving alcohol, and protecting children. Staff have been trained on the Challenge 25 policy, where customers who look younger than 25 years old are asked for proof of age when buying alcohol, she said.

Under the new licence, customers will only be allowed to order alcohol with a meal. They will not be allowed to buy drinks to go.

During the meeting, councillor Richard Sweden pressed the company on its plans to play music until 1am on weekends and midnight on Sundays, which he said could be a nuisance for neighbours.

The representative said no live music would be performed and only a small speaker would be used, but did not specify if it would be indoors or in the rear garden. She said staff would endeavour to “keep disruption to a minimum”.

The committee ultimately granted them permission to play music indoors, but restricted the hours to 12.30am and 11.30pm.

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