The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

CAFE Matisse, a fixture of the downtown scene for nearly three decades, officially closed on Saturday.

In an Instagram post, the restaurant called its end a “bittersweet day”.

The owners of the eatery, Greg and Gabriella Curry, are retiring.

“A place that my family and I have called home for the past 28 years is closing,” the company said.

“From the beginning, Café Matisse was intended to be a warm and familiar place where you could enjoy long lunches that turned into dinners, celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, big wins or even nothing, and just enjoy each other’s company and sit for a while.

“That was the beauty of Café Matisse. It was a space for everyone, for any reason.”

Mr Curry declined to be interviewed last week even amid rumours that the restaurant would reopen under new owners later this year.

The establishment boomed with guests after news of its closure spread earlier this year.

The restaurant, which specialised in Italian food draws its name from the famous French painter Henri Matisse.

“The end of an era. You will be missed,” one Instagram user said.

Said another: “Café Matisse was the standard. Thank you for the exceptional and consistent way you presented in the culinary world. You are already missed.”

According to Labour Minister Keith Bell, the restaurant’s closure is expected to affect at least ten employees.