Restaurant responsible for Rita Ora birthday bash keeps license

By Julia Gregory, local democracy reporter

The restaurant where Rita Ora held birthday drinks during lockdown has kept its licence but was told the breach “was completely unacceptable”.

The star and 16 friends celebrated her birthday at Casa Cruz in Ladbroke Grove in November when the country was in lockdown.

When police got there CCTV was switched off and they couldn’t get anyone to answer the door or phone.

Police asked Kensington and Chelseas council’s licensing sub committee to consider revoking the licence. Instead it has suspended the licence for six weeks and imposed new conditions, including more safeguards to ensure CCTV is operational.

The hearing heard the impromptu gathering in November came after paparazzi gathered outside the home where the birthday party was going to be held.

The licensing committee heard that then restaurant manager Scottie Bhattarai was called by a representative of Ms Ora and asked if the event could move there for £5,000. The money was never paid.

The restaurant’s lawyer Gary Grant said Mr Bhattarai made “a spur of the moment decision” to allow the event and also agreed to turn off the CCTV, at the request of the celebrity’s representatives.

Company director Nicholas Mr Fallows did not know about the party until after it happened.

Mr Bhattarai  made a “a terrible mistake”, said Mr Grant.

The committee said the breach was “totally unacceptable”,

“It was necessary and proportionate for robust steps to be taken against the premises licence holder and for a deterrent message to be sent to this and other licensed premises that these sorts of breaches are totally unacceptable,” it ruled.

It said Mr Bhattarai cannot enter the restaurant, as part of the new conditions.

It pointed out that it cannot issue fines and police are still investigating the incident.

Police lawyer Charles Holland QC told the hearing: “The incident on the night was one of the most egregious and certainly most notorious  breaches of regulations during the national pandemic.”

He called for the licence to be removed to send a strong message to anyone thinking of breaching lockdown rules.

When police arrived after a complaint they couldn’t get in or reach anyone by phone. Windows were also covered over they said. They spotted people sitting at tables and wine glasses when they peered through gaps in the covering.

However the committee said police admitted it had been an isolated incident.

Mr Grant said the company totally condemned what happened and it would never happen again.

During the lengthy hearing the committee heard from nearby residents who said the restaurant helped boost the community and that crime rates had dropped since it opened five years ago.

They said the doorman’s presence was also reassuring and that the restaurant was a valuable community asset.

Near neighbour Marc Chatin urged the council to “take the case for what it is”.

Residents also said that many of the 39 employees at the Clarendon Road eatery were local.

The suspension starts after a 21 day appeal period ends.