I regret to advise that after nearly a quarter of a century of successful operation, Ristorante Barolo has finally closed its doors on February 27, 2013.
The closure is a very belated consequence of the 9/11 attacks on lower New York. In the years immediately after the attacks, we paid a discounted rent. However, in 2012, the landlord sued for the entire amount of back rent including the discounted amounts.
In addition, during the summer of last year, a number of articles were published on the internet and in other media, including the New York Times, stating that a French Macaroon maker, Maison Laduree, had taken over Barolo's leased space indicating it was "formerly occupied by Barolo" and referring to it as "defunct Barolo". While these statements were not true, the negative publicity generated by those false articles (the Zagat Restaurant Guide even took Barolo out of its listings), resulted in a sharp decrease in our business.
We thank all our loyal friends and customers for their support through all these years, and we would like to invite all to our other Soho restaurant, I TRE MERLI, located at 463 West Broadway between Houston and Prince (www.itremerli.com).
