Gottlieb fails in soho spice ban

Michael Gottlieb, owner of Café Spice Namaste, last week failed to obtain an injunction to prevent the use of the name Soho Spice at Amin Ali's new restaurant in Soho.

Mr Ali, owner of Soho's Red Fort, will open the Wardour Street restaurant at the end of April. He has agreed to display a sign at the entrance to the restaurant confirming that the venture has nothing to do with Café Spice Namaste.

However, the alleged case of passing off may still be heard in court later this year, following Mr Gottlieb's decision to file a statement of claim at the end of last week.

This allows him to pursue his allegations that Soho Spice's name is too similar to his own Café Spice and the interior colour scheme is also an almost exact copy. Mr Ali has vigorously denied the claims.

In a break with the tradition of Indian restaurants, Soho Spice will offer all-day dining. Executive chef Kuldeep Singh has devised a breakfast buffet, at £5.95, which offers usual breakfast fare and a range of exotically-spiced dishes.

A selection of "afternoon mini-meals" will also be served, for up to £5 each. Also, under the banner Cuisine of the Month, a three-course set meal costing £14.95 will feature different regional dishes.