The defiant owner of a Bristol restaurant that was almost shut down last year amid police concerns it was “operating as a bar” says a party night will go ahead despite licensing chiefs refusing permission.

Meran Aalipour, who runs The Cuban, at Harbourside, hit out at city councillors after they rejected his application to serve alcohol without food at the event, described as a “celebration of the armed and emergency services”.

During a hearing last summer, police said they believed the eatery in Millennium Promenade was flouting its restaurant licence by being run illegally as a bar to pull in more customers.


Neighbours had complained about noise and claimed the venue was staying open later than allowed, while officers found fewer door staff on duty than required.

But the council decided in August that it should be allowed to stay open after being told there was no crime or disorder.

At yesterday's (February 14) licensing sub-committee, members heard The Cuban had received more recent complaints from a resident about noise.

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They rejected its application for a temporary event notice to hold the celebration of 999 services and Armed Forces personnel, which includes a live band, and issued a counter notice warning it would not be permitted.

Mr Aalipour had asked for a condition of his restaurant licence to be lifted from midday to midnight on February 22 to allow alcohol to be served without the need for customers to order food.

Announcing the decision to refuse permission, sub-committee chairman Cllr Richard Eddy said: “We are issuing a counter-notice not to permit the event.


“We were very moved and influenced by the licence review of last July.

“At that point the police raised great concerns that The Cuban was operating as a bar and not just a restaurant.

“We’re also aware there have been additional complaints.

“They may have been relatively small but they’re still serious, so we are not prepared to grant this application.”


Mark Curtis, of the council’s pollution control team, objected to the application after a neighbour complained over the last two weekends about noise.

He said lifting the condition that prohibited the sale of alcohol without food would make it more likely that the restaurant would operate as a bar again.

Mr Curtis said: “The event will include music so there is the potential for that to be a livelier event and cause more noise nuisance than it would if it was just a restaurant event.”

He added that the recent complaints had not been verified by the council.

'I'm so upset'

After the hearing, Mr Aalipour said: “The event will go ahead anyway.

“The committee used what happened last year to refuse it.

“It’s like being jailed twice for committing the same crime.

“The police are now happy. They had no objections.

“The complaints about noise come from only one person when there are 200 to 300 flats nearby.”

“I’m so upset at the decision.”