Restaurant Curtains

What fire rating do restaurant and bar curtains need?

Curtains in restaurants, bars, pubs and function rooms are specified against BS 5867 Part 2, the British Standard for the flammability of curtains, drapes and window blinds. Licensed premises are public places occupied by people who are awake, so Type B is the normal requirement. Where a venue includes letting rooms upstairs, those bedrooms are a sleeping risk and the fire strategy may call for Type C there instead. Naked flames, candles and open kitchens raise the stakes: a fire risk assessor will look closely at soft furnishings near ignition sources.

Every fabric on this page carries a current BS 5867 Part 2 test report, supplied with the order for your fire risk assessment file and licensing paperwork. Where Type C is required, use the BS 5867 Type C curtains collection to filter to those fabrics.

Choosing curtain fabrics for a restaurant or bar

Hospitality interiors use curtains to set a mood as much as to cover a window, and this collection is weighted towards the richer end of the range for that reason. Points that shape the specification:

• Velvets and jacquards for atmosphere. Deep-pile velvets and woven jacquards give the weight and depth of colour that dining rooms and cocktail bars want, and they are all inherently FR here, with no compromise between look and certification.
• Acoustics. Hard floors, bare tables and glazing make restaurants loud. Heavier curtains absorb reverberation and are one of the few acoustic measures that also improve how the room looks. Full-height curtains on a wall, not just a window, are a common trick.
• Dividers and private dining. Curtains on a ceiling track make flexible partitions for private dining areas and function space; dimout curtains give visual separation without the weight of a blackout.
• Cleaning. Food, smoke and hand contact all reach the curtains eventually. Every fabric we list is inherently fire retardant, so the rating survives cleaning; check the product page for whether a fabric is washable or dry-clean only before choosing it for a busy venue.
• Daylight and street presence. Sheers and voiles on the street frontage keep daytime light and let passers-by see the room is busy without seeing individual diners.

Specifying and ordering

Every curtain is made to measure in the UK. Choose the fabric, enter your drop and width, select a heading (pencil pleat, eyelet, wave or pinch pleat), and the configurator prices it immediately. For a full fit-out, a group rollout, or where you would rather send us a window schedule, request a quote and we will price the whole project as a single quotation across all the fabric houses we carry, including Mallion & Knowles, Villa Nova, Bancroft, Panaz, Skopos and Edmund Bell.

Fire test certificates are supplied for your fire risk assessment and O&M files, and samples are available on every fabric so you can judge colour under the venue's own lighting, which is where velvets in particular can surprise you.

Restaurant curtain FAQs

Do restaurant curtains have to be fire retardant?

Yes. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes the responsible person accountable for fire risk in the premises, and both the fire risk assessor and the licensing authority will expect curtains in a licensed venue to meet BS 5867 Part 2. Every fabric on this page is tested to it.

Are fire retardant velvets available?

Yes, and they are among the most popular fabrics in this collection. Inherently FR velvets are woven from FR polyester or Trevira CS, so the pile and the rating are permanent.

Can I see samples before ordering?

Yes. Request samples from the product page, or tell us the scheme and we will put a selection together for you to view in the venue.