Decline and Fall of Indian Republic?

Upmarket curry house appears to have been closed

Republic restaurant on Chiswick High Road. Picture: Google Streetview

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October 28, 2023

It seems as if Chiswick has lost another quality restaurant with no signs of life recently at Republic restaurant on the High Road.

No announcement appears to have been made on its web site and socials but Google is indicating that it is permanently closed. We made a number of attempts to contact them but have been unsuccessful.

One local said, “I live close by and pass it nearly every day. It isn’t exactly designed so that people can peer in and see what is going on inside. When I tried to book recently, I got no response to my reservation request and it occurred to me that I’d missed some clues about the lack of activity at the place. It may have been shut for several weeks before I realised. It is rather sad that nobody seems to have noticed because it was an excellent place to eat.”

If the closure is permanent, it will be a blow to a core of fans of the upmarket Indian restaurant at 301-303 Chiswick High Road.

Kuldeep Mattegunta and Mustaq Tappewale outside Republic

The owners Mustaq Tappewale and Kuldeep Mattegunta appeared to have weathered the unfortunate circumstances of their launch at the end of 2020 when their plans were stymied by lockdown which meant for the first five months of operation they could operate on a takeaway basis only.

Republic’s offering was fine Indian cooking using British seasonal ingredients a concept the pair dreamed up after working for more that 20 years collectively in the industry latterly together at the Kricket chain of restaurants. An open kitchen allowed diners to sit at a counter and watch the food being prepared.

Interior of Republic restaurant on Chiswick High Road

The restaurant appeared to have found its feet and was listed in the Michelin Guide at the beginning of 2022 although an ambition to gain a Michelin star was never realised.

Even if it had been given the award, that may not have saved them as the previous occupant of the site close when in possession of one.

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