A once-celebrated Italian restaurant in north London has shut its doors with a blistering farewell letter to the very community it blames for its downfall.
Don Ciccio, a family-run osteria on Hampstead Lane in Highgate, closed earlier this month, exactly six years after opening. But instead of a polite goodbye, the owners unleashed a furious tirade against local residents who, they claim, “never supported” them.
“We have closed due to a lack of customers,” the message on the restaurant’s website began. “To the community of Highgate and its neighbors. Thank you for never supporting us, not even once.”
The farewell letter continued with a biting list of grievances: “To those we served during lockdown, when we were the only restaurant open, thank you for never visiting us once the pandemic ended. To the Highgate Society, thank you for never replying to any of our proposals for collaboration.”
It went on: “To those who lived a few doors away yet ordered delivery from somewhere else, thank you for your commitment to distance. In short: thank you all for supporting us so perfectly.”
Despite the sarcasm, Don Ciccio had enjoyed solid online praise, boasting 4.7 stars on Google and a 4.6 TripAdvisor rating. It was also a Traveller’s Choice winner for three consecutive years. Still, the owners said glowing reviews weren’t enough to save them from what they described as “the sheer indifference of our neighbors.”
The Highgate Society responded diplomatically, saying it regretted the closure but noted that, as a volunteer-run organization, it could not always follow up on every partnership request.
In its final message, the restaurant signed off simply: “We are guests in this country, and as guests, we will not complain. We’ll simply say: addio.”
