From Izakaya Den to Gingerboy: Melbourne restaurants that closed down in 2024
Cost of living woes and sky-high overlays have led to the closure of many beloved Melbourne institutions this year — and some didn’t leave without putting up a fight.
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It’s been a mammoth year of restaurant closures across the state, as households and venues were both crippled by sky-high cost of living woes.
These are the iconic Melbourne restaurants we bid farewell to in 2024.
Gingerboy, CBD
Chef Teage Ezard said the “perfect storm” of problems led to his heartfelt decision to close Gingerboy in April, after 18 years. And rather ironically, the beloved modern Asian restaurant became embroiled in its own media storm when it shuttered, with Ezard telling diners to pay at least $50 for mains or watch more of their favourite venues close forever.
“We have to raise our prices, but the public don’t want us to raise our prices. We need to and there needs to be a conversation around that,” he said.
“Restaurants will not survive charging what they are charging. That perception (of not spending $50 on mains) needs to change. We should be charging $50 or more on mains.”
La Luna, Carlton North
TV chef Adrian Richardson announced the closure of his celebrated La Luna restaurant after 25 years of trade back in May. While many factors influenced the Carlton North eatery’s shuttering — including an upcoming lease renewal, high rent, wage and produce hikes — Richardson said he wanted to get ahead of the curve and focus on new projects. He told the Herald Sun at the time that the industry should stop “bitching and moaning” about the dire state of Melbourne’s hospitality scene and “figure out how to make it work”.
Izakaya Den, CBD
The city’s Japanese basement restaurant icon closed for good after 15 years in April. Owner Simon Denton said he and co-owners Miyuki Nakahara and Takashi Omi “had been holding on for tooth and nail” since the middle of last year, but resolved to place the business into voluntary administration ahead of the winter slump. Aside from a downturn in customers and revenue, Denton said there was an oversaturation of restaurants in the city. “There are too many restaurants, we are one of them. The city goes through these cycles, it’s like pruning a tree. You need to prune to let in new growth,” he said.
Rosetta, Crown Melbourne
A Italian stalwart, Rosetta, initially launched by celebrity chef Neil Perry, shut for good after 12 years in May. The jewel in Crown Melbourne’s hospitality stable announced it would be closing as part of the first stages of the casino’s mega-redevelopment. The space has since been redeveloped by DJ Grant Smillie; who has recently opened day-to-night restaurant
Marmont.
Epocha, Carlton
Iconic Melbourne restaurant Epocha closed after 12 years in September. The long-running Carlton venue, run by hospitality legends Angie Giannakodakis and Guy Holder, closed for many reasons — including the freehold of the building being sold and the economic downturn. In good faith, Giannakodakis and Holder served Melbourne a slice of Taverna, a casual Mediterranean pop-up until their lease ran up.
Ichi Ni, St Kilda
The popular Japanese restaurant servicing Melbourne’s “It-crowd” was taken over by mega pub group Australian Venue Co back in February. The Japanese izakaya Ichi Ni, frequented by AFL players, social media stars and local identities, was one of the many St Kilda takeovers by the pub group, which also own The Espy next door. Owners Vince and Jake Sofo and Paul Adamo have since focused their attention to Fitzroy sister restaurant Ichi Ni Nana Izakaya.
The Prince Dining Room, St Kilda
In June, Australian Venue Co also snapped up the Prince Hotel. The hospitality behemoth bought the leasehold of the iconic Fitzroy St pub from owners Jayco boss Gerry Ryan and son Andy in June. A street bar, dining room, bakery, adjoining retail outlet, wine store, function space, indoor pool, multi-level parking and 39 boutique hotel rooms were included as part of the sale.
Black Star Pastry, all Melbourne stores
The trendy Sydney-born bakery closed all of its Melbourne stores back in August after five cake-filled years. This included sites at The Prince in St Kilda, Melbourne and Chadstone. In a statement, the owners told the Herald Sun the current economic market and post-Covid trading conditions influenced their decision to downsize.
Botswana Butchery, CBD
It wasn’t the best year for the high-end New Zealand steakhouse export. Owners Good Group Australia called in administrators to help navigate the business’ future in April after two years of trade in Melbourne. Later, the Herald Sun revealed the steak chain restaurant racked up $23m in debt and was likely trading insolvent. A creditors report reveals $4.5m was owed to creditors, landlords and suppliers, while a further $9.7m was owed on intercompany loans.
Om Nom, CBD
The boutique hotel restaurant famous for its high teas and artistic desserts was forced to close after 11 years in May. Initially Om Nom at the Adelphi Hotel had been temporarily closed for a couple of weeks, but after being pressed by the Herald Sun, the owners revealed they were saying goodbye permanently. At the time, the hotel did not comment on the reason behind the closure, however, the cafe shut a year after prominent businessman Ozzie Kheir and his co-investors sold the hotel for around $25m to the Sydney property development group Virtical.
Becco, CBD
Restaurant giant Andrew McConnell snapped up the iconic Crossley St site in the city, formerly home to Becco in August. The beloved Italian outfit closed after 28 years in business. Owner Simon Hartley told the Herald Sun said he wasn’t desperate to sell, but the timing worked out. The Crossley St address was formerly the Pellegrini’s Tavola Freddo Cantina, which was established by the Pellegrini brothers, Leo and Vildo in 1954. They sold the business to Nino Pangrazio and Sisto Malaspina in 1974 and Becco opened in the space in 1996. Morning Market is currently occupying by the Becco produce store, until the McConnell project takes shape, most likely in late 2025.
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