Current owner Motin Uddin Ahmed cited ‘the cost of living’ as the reason for the closure in a statement to the Chiswick Calendar, adding ‘rent, rates, all of it’.
One of the West London area’s oldest Indian restaurants, Annapurna was founded in 1970 by Bashir Ahmed and taken over by his two sons 23 years ago.
Located on Chiswick High Road, the restaurant had long been popular with local residents, but since the Covid pandemic it struggled to recover weekday evening trade from nearby Chiswick Business Park, leaving staff working in a largely empty restaurant.
The venue offered fine Indian cuisine such as tandoori murgh garlic karahi – off-the-bone shredded grilled chicken, cooked with onions, garlic, herbs and spices; and lamb jalfrezi - marinated with fresh ground spices and sautéed with fresh ginger, tomatoes, onions, capsicum and fresh green chillies.
Ahmed has said he will consider his options and may open a smaller restaurant in time.
Annapurna’s last trading day was yesterday (13 December) according to ChiswickW4.com.