Noodle Brat has been awarded an alcohol licence for its restaurant in Clerkenwell

IN the 1830s Charles Dickens looked at the bookshop in Clerkenwell Close and pictured a scene of thieving pickpockets for Oliver Twist.

Fast forward to 2023 and neighbours say they are more worried about noise from boisterous customers leaving the restaurant now operating in the historic building.

Their concerns emerged as councillors agreed a new alcohol licence for Noodle Brat last Thursday. The bar wanted to serve beer and wine with its tonkotsu-style broth, speciality pork Japanese noodles dish.

But objectors fear the road could turn into a “nightlife hotspot”.

The restaurant is up and running between three pubs and residents have warned that the cumulative effect of so many places serving alcohol will lead to sleepless nights.

One letter to the Town Hall told licensing chiefs of Islington Green’s premier status as a literary landscape: “This area of Clerkenwell, in which Noodle Brat is at the centre, was John Betjeman’s ‘first London village,’ with all the accolades that brings.

Film-makers love the character and the listed buildings are so cherished.

“To think that Charles Dickens’ bookshop of Oliver Twist (there until the late 20th century) can be destroyed by those who participate in what could become a drinking den!”

John Betjeman was a former Poet Laureate who is credited with saving ornate St Pancras train station from demolition. He lived in nearby Cloth Fair and was known for his nostalgic poems lamenting the loss of history and culture.

The letter said the encroachment of places to drink was “damaging our living environment” and reminded councillors that Clerkenwell was the borough’s first conservation area.

There is also a cumulative impact policy in the area – meaning the Town Hall was obliged to reject any new applications if it felt they would add to drinking problems in the area.

Ben Grant, a director of the eatery, said the owners were happy with the final decision to approve the licence. He added: “It’s a restaurant serving high-quality Japanese food and we’re looking to serve wine and beer with our food. There’s no vertical drinking, it’s all seated drinking in a very warm and hospitable setting and we feel it will be beneficial to the eating experience rather than anything negative.

“It’s a Grade II-listed building and an important building. We’re adding to the character and the culture of the neighbour­hood.”

Explaining the restaurant is currently a one-off, he said he hoped to open more branches across London. Dickens chose the building for the scene in Oliver Twist where the Artful Dodger picks the pocket of Mr Brownlow, and Oliver then gets arrested.