Licence sought for new 'exclusive' fine-dining restaurant in Worthing

A premises licence for an ‘exclusive’ new Worthing restaurant was discussed on Monday (11 July).
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Colibri (UK) Limited wants to open the venue and B&B at 14 West Avenue and is currently seeking permission from Worthing Borough Council to sell alcohol at the venue.

‘Orchid House’ would have a restaurant, bar, function room, outside seating, and four guest bedrooms and director Alex Bell hopes to open in late August or early September.

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The venue would offer fine dining, boutique wines, champagnes, and ‘sophisticated cocktails’ on a bookings only basis.

West Avenue, WorthingWest Avenue, Worthing
West Avenue, Worthing

A design statement said: “The concept aims to capture the essence of the space and luxury of a country manor combined with the exclusivity of a private members’ club.”

The new venue is proposing to open seven days a week – from 11am to midnight Mondays to Saturdays, and until 11pm on Sundays.

If a licence is granted, alcohol would be sold between 11am and 11.30pm Mondays to Saturdays and until 10.30pm on Sundays.

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Worthing Borough Council’s licensing and control sub-committee discussed the application on Monday (11 July) after 22 people objected.

Sussex Police withdrew any objections after the owner agreed to a number of conditions.

But some neighbours say West Avenue is ‘not an appropriate area to open a business’ due to its residential nature.

One compared the plans to ‘opening a pub in the middle of a residential area’.

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Louise Breinholt is a West Avenue resident and also attends the Quaker meeting house nearby to the proposed restaurant.

She told Monday’s meeting the building was chosen in 1958 because it was in a quiet residential area and asked for the licence to be refused due to the venue’s proximity to the meeting house as well as Lavender Lodge, a dementia care home.

Another resident, Natalie Young, said proposals to serve customers seven days a week showed a ‘flagrant disregard’ for neighbours.

Orchid House previously invited the objectors to an open evening to try to allay their concerns adding that the venue will be ‘nothing like a pub’.

The council will issue a decision on the licence within five working days of the hearing.