Neighbouring London restaurants just about avoid being shut - but owner isn't allowed to work there
Two 'beloved' restaurants in Soho have been given a 'final chance' to stay open after repeatedly selling alcohol without food. Westminster City Council said Violet's and the next door Mediterranean Café on Berwick Street could reopen after a three-month suspension.
The council's Licensing Committee also barred Ali Aksu, the venues' owner, and his brother Mehmet, from working inside either premises and ordered a new manager be put in place, during a licensing meeting on Thursday (January 16). They also required Mr Aksu to erect a sign outside his restaurants warning customers alcohol could only be sold with a meal.
It comes after the popular eateries were reportedly found selling alcohol after hours and allowing customers to drink without food, in breach of their licences. On Thursday, councillor Angela Piddock, Chair of the Licensing Committee, said Mr Aksu was to blame for the venues' non-compliance.
She said: "Based on the regulatory history, which is at best disappointing on the evidence given today, giving the premises licence holder another chance is a serious concern. [However] this must be balanced from evidence from numerous representations supporting the venue."
She added: "The premises licence holder is the problem but the Licensing Committee must balance the community and Westminster with the promoting of the licensing objectives." Cllr Piddock said the committee had 'only just' been persuaded not to revoke the licence after hearing from supporters.
The committee said Violet's and Mediterranean Café would have to train staff on the conditions of their licence twice yearly and check the IDs of anyone appearing under 25. Westminster City Council ordered a review after officers found customers drinking without food during an inspection on New Year's Eve.
A probe by licensing officers found the premises failed to carry out ID checks and used unauthorised chairs and tables on the footpath outside the restaurant and café. The operator has been fined £14,000 in the past for licensing breaches which it pleaded guilty to. The venues also faced a licence review in 2021 over similar alleged breaches and had their premises shut down by police in June 2024 after staff were allegedly caught serving alcohol to customers without food during Pride celebrations.
PC Steve Muldoon from the Met Police told councillors on Thursday that an 'immense' amount of effort had gone into helping Mr Aksu run his restaurants in line with their licensing conditions. He said: "This is the second review in four years and on top of this, all the prosecutions since, have made absolutely no difference.
"I have personally made numerous attempts to explain the licensing conditions, and I hope Mr Aksu can agree with that, on a number of occasions over a period of years... Now I see it as a blatant refusal to follow the conditions that have been listed."
Gary Grant, representing Mr Aksu, said his client was sorry for the repeated breaches, which he put down to Mr Aksu's friendly nature and desire to accommodate customers. He said the restaurants were 'beloved' by customers and a hub for the community.
He said: "Not every severe migraine is cured in an appropriate or proportionate way that might end in a beheading. It's effective but it's not necessarily the best way."
Andrew Malone, a supporter, told the committee: "This is such a unique, vibrant place. It goes beyond just serving food. It is something that is truly exceptional and it makes me feel safe."
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