After 44 years, the family said they had made the ‘very hard decision’ to shut up shop for good
Raj Pavillions on Filton Road in Horfield(Image: Raj Pavillions)
A beloved curry house in Horfield, which has been serving locals and generations of families for more than four decades, has confirmed it has made the ‘very hard decision’ to close its doors for good. Raj Pavillions on Filton Road has been welcoming diners inside its well-known restaurant for 44 years.
The family-run business, headed by Asad and Eva, has catered to customers who dine-in at the restaurant itself and also those who wish to collect their food for takeaways. In a review in 2023, BristolLive wrote about the food and staff here, praising the business for its attentiveness, quality and for being “the perfect comfort food for those who crave fresh Indian cuisine”.
Speaking exclusively to BristolLive today (Wednesday), the team confirmed they had closed the doors to the restaurant for good. They said: “Unfortunately after 44 years (I think we may be one of the oldest Indian takeaways in Bristol) Raj Pavillions had to close its doors permanently. It’s been a very hard decision but sadly we have been at financial loss for over two years now and unfortunately we cannot sustain being open and experiencing more losses.
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The family also confirmed that a new restaurant would be opening up in the former home of Raj Pavillions at 14 Filton Road. They said: “The restaurant has been taken by Pepes and they will be opening their branch in the next few months. As for the takeaway it has not been decided yet what will happen and what food premise will be there.”
Pepe’s Piri Piri has a Filton Road location listed on its page dedicated to upcoming stores. It’s one of almost 50 new stores listed to be ‘coming soon’ up and down the country for the brand, who already boast Bristol locations on Cheltenham Road and Stapleton Road.
Pepe’s currently have 233 stores across the UK described to serve up ‘fresh flame-grilled chicken’.
Inside the Raj Pavillions Indian restaurant in Horfield(Image: Raj Pavillions)
Locals in a Facebook group dedicated to the nearby area had been speculating about the closure earlier this week after one diner posted that they’d been told by staff that the Raj Pavillions restaurant would be closing on Tuesday evening. And residents and regular customers were quick to share their sadness and heartbreak at the news.
One said: “Very sad about this – have been going there since it first opened”, while a second commented: “Gutted. I only ate in there last week for my birthday. You couldn’t go wrong there. Never had a bad curry.”
A third wrote: “Oh no! Will miss this – our favourite Indian. So sad. Such lovely food and staff. Good luck to them all.”
And a fourth simply said: “So sad to see another good restaurant close.”
BristolLive’s own Ellie Kendall, a regular diner at Raj Pavillions, said: “It’s truly heartbreaking when you lose one of your go-to and favourite restaurants. The industry is so difficult right now that many beloved family-run businesses like this one are facing closure. Raj Pavillions will be truly missed in the community. I don’t know what I’m going to do without their food and conversation.”
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