A recent visit from Met officers found the seemingly disused restaurant actually in use as something totally different
It brought a taste of Portugal to South London, but since its closure police have revealed something else was added to the menu. The Blue Sea Restaurante on Clapham Road opened in around 2017, earning a 4.3 star rating on Google, the attendance of Fulham’s then-centre forward Carlos Vinícius, and plaudits from diners who called it a ‘hidden gem’ with a vibe ‘like being on holiday’.
But it appears that all came to an end by June 2023, when the restaurant owners stopped posting updates on Facebook and one reviewer said they turned up with a booking to find it closed down. For the next couple of years, locals walked by as it stood dormant. “Ain’t seen this place open ONCE” and “never seen no food eating going on in there” they wrote on TikTok last week.
These were comments in response to videos that showed police tape outside the entrance, with officers and forensics standing in the doorway. The Met has now confirmed the restaurant had been converted into a cannabis factory – something they only realised when the London Fire Brigade were called out because the property was emitting ‘high levels of gas’.
The historic flat-roofed Victorian pub seems to have changed hands several times over the years. A photo from 1975 shows it as the Dorset Arms; in the 2000s it was known as Kelly’s; then over the last 15 years it has been known as Mar Azul, the Village, and most recently the Blue Sea.
The only company accounts we could find connected to the business showed a company was formed in 2015, but it was struck off in 2017 after failing to file accounts.
Maybe you know what happened? Get in touch if you can explain how the restaurant was taken over by criminals.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “At 22:00hrs on Wednesday, 17 September, the London Fire Brigade called police to an abandoned property in Clapham Road, SE9 which emitting high levels of gas.
“After gaining entry to the property, police discovered a cannabis factory. A crime scene was put in place. This remains open while officers conduct initial enquiries.
“No arrests have been made at this stage.
“The gas level issue was resolved by the London Fire Brigade and emergency gas engineers. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Met via 101, quoting 7448/17SEP.”
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