New Shoreditch restaurant Mamarosa’s alcohol and music licence goes to vote

Mamarosa wants to serve alcohol until half-past midnight. Photograph: Zigfrid von Underbelly, Hackney, via Flickr

A new high-end restaurant from Barcelona opening in Shoreditch will have its right to serve alcohol and play music voted on tonight (11 April) at a meeting of Hackney’s licensing sub-committee.

Mamarosa, which serves Italian and Mediterranean food, wants to sell alcohol until half past 12 and have live music on until midnight, plus half an hour of recorded music, at its new home in Holywell Lane.

But police have requested that licence chiefs leave half an hour between the end of alcohol sales and closing time.

In a submission to the council’s licensing unit, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “The timings for alcohol are the same as the closing time.

“Police propose that there be at least 30 minutes between these times to allow customers to drink their drinks before being asked to leave.

“Police therefore suggest that alcohol cease at midnight each night.”

If granted without changes, Mamarosa’s licence would mean the venue can host live music from 6pm to midnight from Monday to Friday and 3pm to midnight on weekends.

It would also serve alcohol from 12 noon to half-past midnight during the week, and from 11am to half-past midnight on weekends.