Civaena 2 España Bar y Restaurant in New Cross was the subject of a review after “multiple” complaints
A restaurant and bar in South East London which was accused of being so noisy it felt like a “nightclub” has kept its licence but will need to follow new conditions.
Civaena 2 España Bar y Restaurant in New Cross was the subject of a review after Lewisham Council received “multiple” complaints in relation to noise nuisance and “disorderly behaviour” by people associated with the venue.
Following a hearing with Lewisham Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee last Wednesday (June 10), the venue’s basement area had its terminal hours reduced and will need to create a noise management plan which must be approved by licensing officers.
A legal representative of the venue said there had been “shortcomings in the management” of the premises, especially when it came to noise control and customer dispersion.
He said the previous Designated Premises Supervisor, who has been removed as part of the new licensing conditions, had failed to speak with residents and acknowledge their complaints and did not engage with the licensing authority.
The review had been submitted by the licensing authority, which said the venue had failed to promote and uphold the licensing objectives concerning prevention of public nuisance and prevention of crime and disorder, as well as repeated breaches of licensing conditions.
Shortly after the the venue was allowed to extend its operating hours for the basement area in September 2025, the council began receiving complaints relating to noise and disturbance coming from the venue.
On March 14, 2026, an Anti-Social Behaviour and Statutory Nuisance Officer visited and assessed the noise from a nearby property and concluded it was loud enough to cause a nuisance. During the same visit, the venue was found to have breached 11 conditions on its licence.
During last week’s hearing, an anonymous resident said she was supportive of local businesses and entrepreneurs, but not at the expense of the peace and wellbeing of local residents who are suffering “a great deal”.
She said: “I have never experienced anything like this in my life. I have lived here for 16 years. I am well known in the community. I know many of the businesses.
“Our road is peaceful for 16 years and now it is like a football stadium every single Saturday and Sunday evening.”
She went on to say she wasn’t sure how the venue was a bar and restaurant, and compared it to a nightclub.
Venue ‘has shown no consideration’
Shaun Rodway, a police licensing officer who works with Lewisham Council, said it was “shocking” that the venue had breached 11 of its licensing conditions.
He said: “I must say it’s particularly worrying that the venue hasn’t shown any consideration to the conditions on the premises license, which are put in place to help uphold the licensing objectives.”
Another resident told the committee that on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, “very loud, bassy music” plays from the venue from 10pm to as late as 5am, and that it’s taken a toll on the mental and physical wellbeing of residents.
He said: “The reality is, it’s very hard to get to sleep with music coming through the floorboards. The bass [means] earplugs offer limited relief as the vibrations carry through our mattresses.
“There are few worse ways to start your Monday than by struggling to get to sleep at midnight, being woken up by music first at 2am and then again by guests exiting the venue at 3am.”
The venue’s legal representative said: “The issues identify and arise from a failure of management control, particularly in relation to the operation of sound equipment.
“There’s also been a lot of talk about a sound limiter – they have a sound engineer coming in, I think even as early as tomorrow, to recalibrate the sound limiter, because I think that is one of the problems with the bass, and we are also putting in for a noise abatement control so that they will come in and measure the sound.”
He added: “And if the residents will be kind enough to allow them upstairs, they will measure the sound, and hopefully the limiter will control any sound being emitted that will obviously upset the neighbours.”
When it came to closing statements, a resident said: “We just want to have peace and we want to have the ability to sleep at night peacefully and not be disturbed or not be feeling anxious as we’re leading up to the weekend.”
The venue’s legal representative said the Premises Licence Holder was “taking the appropriate steps” and that they hoped residents and the committee would give them the opportunity to put things right and run their business in a “neighbourly way”.
The committee decided to amend the terminal hour from Sunday to Thursday to 12am, and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The venue’s licensable activities for the basement will end at 11.30pm from Sunday through to Thursday, and at 12.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.
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