Elizabeth Craven’s former Westminster Grade II listed home to turn into restaurant

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to turn a historic Mayfair home into a restaurant have been approved by one a council despite objections from residents.

The extravagant Grade II listed property on Charles Street once welcomed the likes of British prime ministers, diplomats and royalty when it belonged to famed 19th-century travel writer Elizabeth Craven.

But a developer now wants it turned into a bustling eatery serving up to 1,000 customers a day, council documents revealed.

Plans submitted to Westminster City council show the developer, 16CS Operations, wants to knock down an existing pergola and replace a boxed-in duct at the rear and install a lift to carry food from the basement to the fourth floor as well as demolish the existing hallway lobby. They’ll also install a kitchen on the basement floor.

But residents claimed the plans could ruin the neighbourly vibe and lead to “noise and smell” entering their homes.

The plans were approved by Westminster City during a council meeting on Tuesday.

Westminster City council were approached for comment but did not provide one at the time of publication.

Pictured top: Residents have blasted plans to convert a historic Charles Street home in Mayfair into a restaurant (Picture: Google Street View)