Di Figaro's is now closed

everon


Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 956

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 17:04

we went today to book a table and the guys informed us it is now closed. They told us that new people will open up on 1st April with a new menu.



we shook their hands and wished them well, what a shame.



so lets wait and see - Cypriot - Turkish - Indian - Thai - Chinese - English - Italian ??????????????????? x

trooper


Joined: 04/07/2009
Posts: 211

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 18:25

'Another one bites the dust'

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 18:32

May the best and good restaurants survive!

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 18:35

im so sad, it was lovely and had so much support. If this goes what chance have any of us got xxxxxxxxxx

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 19:15

Really, it had a lot of support? If so they must have got their business model wrong...

jacktheladett


Joined: 01/07/2008
Posts: 528

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 19:44

Lovely place/setting etc, but in all the years it was going, did they ever change their menu? It's what stopped us going in the end.

MarkVPiazza


Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 530

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 19:46

I thought Figaro was great, but I could never figure out how they covered their costs.



A lot of dreamers seem to go into the restaurant business, with no realistic business plan or costings



As I've said before, in this climate, I think only family owned places that own the premesis are viable



Mark

Teresa


Joined: 21/11/2007
Posts: 1018

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 19:53

I am gutted that was my most favourite restaurant on the whole island and we never had a bad meal in fact we was planning on taking my brother there next week.

nurseawful



Joined: 06/02/2009
Posts: 5934

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 20:00

Loved the place but I always saw it as somewhere to go on a special occasion as it could be a bit pricey. Probably that was its downfall they didn't seem to cater for people on a day to day basis like Guidos now doing the daily specials at 20tl! Just my opinion.



Chris

parkview



Joined: 12/03/2009
Posts: 1123

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 20:02

Don't understand as it was his restaurant and he lived above, he did not have rent to pay like so many others, things must be bad!

McSteviet



Joined: 11/05/2007
Posts: 1089

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 20:08

Was a good place, one less place to go for a quality night out. Shame. I remember the same questions being asked at this time last year. Did they really spend money refurbishing it last year, as really it didn't need it.



Mc

professoregit


Joined: 30/08/2008
Posts: 381

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 20:27

I don't think it helped having the established and in my opinion superior Ambience opposite. Especially when

the style of cooking was very similar. Good luck to Salli, I wish him well.

McSteviet



Joined: 11/05/2007
Posts: 1089

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 20:31

And the Address? 3 very good restaurants



Mc

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 20:36

all so good and views to die for, its so sad. you know i would recomend all three to my customers. oh well what can we say, at least they have a beautiful building to call home xx i just hate it when i see another restaurant go

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 21:01

Teresa.I am gutted also I loved the place and the food and always visited around Christmas time for the past 6 years, Our Turkish friends took us there on our first visit and always booked a table for a meal during our holiday. Good luck to the new owners, please don't change it.

nikegirl


Joined: 19/02/2010
Posts: 162

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 22:01

that is such a shame. i loved di figaros, the atmosphere, the stunning building, the staff, the food.... i wonder what went wrong?

Maz


Joined: 29/03/2009
Posts: 1924

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 22:09

Rumours fly. I heard he was closed due to flood damage and that is why the NCCCT coffee morning was cancelled. I was due to plhone him any day now, and have just tried but no answer. There was talk of him buying a restaurant in London and going back for the buzz, but amnot up to date on that.

Will try to find out - but I can assure one and all that it is not a question of a failed business - Salih was missing the buzz of London, that I DO know.

But who are the new 'owners'? For, as someone said, Salih owns Di Figaro and lives upstairs.

Ah.... another mystery!

Teresa


Joined: 21/11/2007
Posts: 1018

Message Posted:
10/03/2010 22:37

Marion that sounds more like the truth, they had their regular customers and i dont think the other restaurants around were much of a threat, i am sure London is calling him back.

Stonehousepub


Joined: 21/05/2009
Posts: 755

Message Posted:
11/03/2010 00:17

Sorry can't understand why it is so important to find out why or for what reason Di figaro has closed quite worrying really... Maybe the same enthusiasm should be shown whilst establishments are actually up & running....



The TRNC is very small & at the same time a very lethal little place therefore every new business is doomed from the day they open their doors... Think about it

andrew4232



Joined: 04/07/2009
Posts: 1543

Message Posted:
11/03/2010 07:53

well its bound to reopen as an indian as were short of them!!

flowerfairy


Joined: 17/09/2008
Posts: 1277

Message Posted:
11/03/2010 08:30

Stonehousepub, you said ''Sorry can't understand why it is so important to find out why or for what reason Di figaro has closed quite worrying really'', I think the reason people are interested, is probably out of concern.

also

''Maybe the same enthusiasm should be shown whilst establishments are actually up & running....'',

I'm of the opinion that there are so many good eating establishments on the island, but not enough people

to frequent them all, maybe that's why they're struggling. We can't all possibly eat out every day/night.

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
11/03/2010 08:30

We may as well all move to Bombay/Mumbai, as soon every restaurant in TRNC will be an 'Indian'!



If one doesn't mind more heat and more flies and a coupla three cobras under the bed, instead of the 'Bull-nosed Pit Viper', the cost of living should be a bit cheaper; plus, you can, at least, hire yourself a 'Pankah Wallah'!

dougskud



Joined: 04/04/2008
Posts: 356

Message Posted:
11/03/2010 10:54

I am no business consultant but the business plan for this restaurant was flawed from conception.



Location was completely wrong located behind The Ambiance arguably the best restaurant in the eastern mediterranean where it sits majestically on top of the sea being cooled by the beautiful summer breeze it's presence was always going to expose the weakness of a flawed business plan handicapped as it was by fixed costs that could never be justified.



Doug



p.s. I have no financial interest in The Ambiance but I do admit it is my favourite restaurant in the warm summer months.









Doug

Stonehousepub


Joined: 21/05/2009
Posts: 755

Message Posted:
11/03/2010 13:42

Doug,



Do you enjoy the food at Ambience? I've been a couple of times and in all honesty found the food very bog standard & over-rated...

Stonehousepub


Joined: 21/05/2009
Posts: 755

Message Posted:
11/03/2010 13:57

Flowerfairy,



I sincerely do not think it is out of concern, more like people just being nosey in my opinion.



However I do agree, there are not enough people around to support these businesses, more importantly the majority do not have much of a disposable income to spend on leisure & entertainment therefore most of the time they are limited to eating out on special occasions. ( locals included )

parkview



Joined: 12/03/2009
Posts: 1123

Message Posted:
11/03/2010 17:58

I have lived here for 15 years on and off and there are about 6 times the amount of restaurants around now, quality of most average as years ago the few here were top notch, not enough tourists, taxes, vat too high! all of the above has a knock on effect.

frenchy


Joined: 13/06/2009
Posts: 15

Message Posted:
11/03/2010 21:25

As usual, none of you know what you are talking about but are all too quick to drop poisonous and potentially damaging posts.

Di Figaro has NOT closed through any failure of business or otherwise. Sali has agreed to rent the premises to another entrepeneur while he is moving on to bigger and even better things.

everon


Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 956

Message Posted:
11/03/2010 22:05

frenchy, that is exactly what I said re message 1 "we went today to book a table and the guys informed us it is now closed. They told us that new people will open up on 1st April with a new menu. "



I was informing people it was closed and reopening with new people on 1st April with a new menu x

flowerfairy


Joined: 17/09/2008
Posts: 1277

Message Posted:
11/03/2010 23:29

Frenchy, I think you're comment is a bit harsh, I find it amazing that anyone would re open a restuarant

in August, after 'the tourists' have probably all left the Island.

That's their choice, be it right, or wrong,

Everon, thanks for informing us, we;ve had some lovely evenings in De Figaro, and good luck to Salih.

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
12/03/2010 00:10

i also wish him peace and happiness, why wotk here for penuts when you can get good money in london. good luck ,y friend xxxxxxxxxxxx

Stonehousepub


Joined: 21/05/2009
Posts: 755

Message Posted:
12/03/2010 00:22

August ?? Tourists ?? ))))

flowerfairy


Joined: 17/09/2008
Posts: 1277

Message Posted:
12/03/2010 07:40

Yeah, they're the ones who wear sandles with socks!!!!!!!................

saw at least ten last year.

Maz


Joined: 29/03/2009
Posts: 1924

Message Posted:
12/03/2010 21:07

I honestly don't think it was a quesiton of money with Di Figaro. The customers here are not the same as those he knew at Covent Garden. Personally I loved the ambiance of Di F and the music, but many customers are not as 'square' as me. If Salih has fulfilled his latest dream it is not because of money, but life style.If I could Full stop. And good lucki. If I could go and live in Covent Garden I would be off like a shot, but no one is offering me the money tlo go.ood luck to Salih. I personally shall miss him.

G

Maz


Joined: 29/03/2009
Posts: 1924

Message Posted:
13/03/2010 20:07

The truth! As others thought as did I - it was NOT a question of money, but Salih is hopefully going back to London. Going back to where he is happy and surrounded by 'beautiful peopkle' (my saying, not his). Negotiations not yet complete but when they are he will tell folk here where to find him in Leicester Square.

The old Restaurant will become a Brazilian Restaurant run by the same people as own Golden Tulip Hotel, Nicosia.



So, you see, it is a good positive reason for Di Figaro's closing - but for me a very sad one. What other restaurants play my kind of music! Ah well, to quote a piece of opera 'Ridi Pagliaco'.