The name of the new dining spot was revealed in planning documents for the former James Crook funeral directors next to the Kiln Cinema.
The firm vacated the Victorian building at the corner of Buckley Road in June 2024 and it was sold at auction in September 2024 for £1.4 million.
At the time of sale it included the empty ground floor space with two vacant flats on the upper floors – both with separate entrances.
An application to convert the former funeral directors at 259 Kilburn High Road into a restaurant was lodged last December and approved by Brent Council planners earlier this month.
The scheme includes installing a kitchen extraction system for the ‘Agan Somali Restaurant’.
Brent Council approved the scheme on grounds that noise mitigation measures were installed and that: “All new external work shall be carried out in materials that match, in colour, texture and design detail those of the existing building to ensure a satisfactory development which does not prejudice the amenity of the locality.”
Posting on Life in Kilburn Facebook page one local wrote: “Planning permission has been granted to turn 259 Kilburn High Road into a restaurant. A cherished Kilburn building.”
One responded: “Who would want to dine in an ex mortuary?”
While another suggested: “Would people go there – maybe it could be a restaurant that you eat of of coffin style tables?”
And a third said: “Ambitious move… I can imagine the buildings history being a sticking point for many who live in the area.”
