Broadway Bar and Grill Suddenly Closed and Sealed
But popular town centre pub could soon reopen under new management
The Broadway Bar and Grill on Fulham Road
October 16, 2023
One of Fulham’s largest and most popular pubs, The Broadway Bar and Grill has been abruptly shut down, with its owner claiming it has been forced to close by H&F Council.
People passing the normally bustling pub at 474 Fulham Road, on the corner of the Broadway, were startled this week to see the historic three storey building’s windows and doors had suddenly been sealed up with metal security panels.
As shown by its sign saying King’s Head 1680, there has been a public house on this site for around 400 years. Over the years, it has had a number of owners and numerous changes of name, but as The Broadway Bar and Grill, it has most recently been operating as a pub on the ground floor with a member’s bar on the second floor and adjacent roof terrace.
In the last few weeks, a Chinese restaurant called Shanghai Rouge opened on the building’s first floor, though this too is now closed and sealed.
The current owner, SA Taverns Ltd claims the closure was forced on it by H&F Council, saying on Instagram: “ It is with great sadness that we have to close down the bar after this weekend. It was not our choice and is being forced upon us by the council because one person has repeatedly complained about the noise from our upper floors.
“We thank everyone for visiting over the last few years and we are sorry that we are closing on such short notice. We would of course like to make a special shoutout to Hammersmith and Fulham council who have decided that a 400 year old bar can no longer operate because someone really wanted to live on Fulham road.”
Customers outside the Broadway Bar and Grill
However, behind the scenes it appears the venue has actually changed hands, with pub giant EI Group, which is part of Britain’s largest pub business the Stonegate Pub Company, making two applications to H&F Council to transfer its premises licence.
The first application, which can be seen on the council website using reference 2023/01565/LAPR is for the ground and first floor and the second, 2023/01566/LAPR is for the Members and Roof Terrace areas. Today, October 16 is the closing date for comments on both applications.
If and when the pub reopens, it could face strong competition in future from its next door neighbour, the former Market Hall created on the site of Fulham Broadway Station’s disused ticket hall.
As we reported in August, JD Wetherspoon plans to spend £2.5 million redeveloping the site into a pub and restaurant over two floors and a planning application made in July is currently being considered by the council.
This autumn is proving a busy time for pubs in the centre of Fulham, with the Tommy Tucker, which was also suddenly closed and sealed this time last year, now back open in nearby Waterford Road under the management of Tonin Kajac, who also runs the Fulham Road cocktail bar Kona Kai.
Meanwhile The Butcher’s Hook, opposite to the eastern entrance to Stamford Bridge has been given a major facelift by owner Greene King and just over the border in Chelsea, another favourite with football fans, the former Chelsea Pensioner, has also had a makeover along with a change of name to The Chelsea Gate.
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