d’Arenberg Cube Restaurant is closing its doors, blaming COVID-19 for no longer being sustainable
It was considered among South Australia’s best dining experiences. But the d’Arenberg Cube Restaurant is closing its doors – and its creator is blaming COVID-19.
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The d’Arenberg Cube Restaurant is closing.
The third level restaurant of South Australian tourism icon, The Cube, will hold its final service on April 2.
d’Arenberg winemaker and The Cube visionary, Chester Osborn, said he blamed coronavirus for the closure, but also noted the hit to tourism following SA’s December bushfires.
“Two thirds of the people who come to The Cube are tourists and they’re just not there now,” he said. “The other third are locals, and obviously they’re not coming out now, either.”
Spearheaded by husband-wife chef duo Brendan and Lindsay Durr, the d’Arenberg Cube Restaraunt opened in McLaren Vale in December 2017 to fanfare.
The Advertiser restaurant reviewer Simon Wilkinson rated it a rare 9/10 in 2018, describing it as a “rival for the state’s best eating experiences”.
Highlights included a 3D printed dessert and eel and fois gras “cookies”, which comes in the guise of chocolate cookies resting on a pillow.
“It was everything I wanted it to be,” Mr Osborn said. “The environment was stimulating, the service amazing – I think we got everything right. Brendan and Lindsay are amazing chefs. They really put their heart and soul into it.
“We were full a lot of the time; we weren’t full all the time … It wasn’t a money making exercise, but I don’t think restaurants are.”
Around 25 staff have lost their jobs with the closure. Mr Durr described the news as “devastating”, and that their priority is finding solutions for those affected.
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The Durrs will continue to cook in the kitchen over the next two weeks, and Mr Osborn said he encouraged people who hadn’t yet experienced the unique menu to book. A degustation costs $210, with wine pairings from $95.
The rest of the d’Arenberg Cube, along with d’Arry’s Verandah Restaurant and Polly’s Wine Lounge, remain open, operating within the government’s current guidelines in response to COVID-19.
A new restaurant would fill the level 3 space in due course, Mr Osborn said, adding that staff would be invited to reapply for their jobs. Whether the new restaurant would be quite as high end, is unknown.
“Nobody knows how big a recession we’re going to have, and whether we have to start with a more moderately priced restaurant is to be seen,” he said. “There is so much at play.”