Italian restaurant slams locals’ ‘sheer indifference’ as announces closure
The owner of an Italian restaurant Don Ciccio in Highgate, North London, has slammed the “sheer indifference” of locals after being forced to shut up shop after just six years, bitterly claiming “thank you for never supporting us, not even once.”
Don Ciccio on Hampstead Lane shut last week after six years of trading, with Marco Claudio Valento at the helm since it launched in October 2019.
In a bitter farewell message on the Don Ciccio website, the former civil engineer said that “bad food, bad reviews or bad luck” were not to blame for the closure, but rather “the sheer indifference of our neighbours”.
The owner lamented that, being awarded Traveller’s Choice 2023 and 2024 on Tripadvisor, as well as a scoring a 4,7 star Google rating, was not enough to keep the business open.
Since announcing its closure, the restaurant’s Tripadvisor rating has slid to 4.6. The majority of reviews sing Don Ciccio’s praises, heralding the “excellent” service and “outstanding” food, with one describing it as “a truly authentic Italian gem”, and another attesting “I would come here everyday if I wanted to.”
However, some left less happy: one review warns of “slow and incompetent” and tasteless food in a restaurant where “something was clearly wrong”, while another left “disappointed” by a recent visit that didn’t live up to expectations.
Furthermore, The Food Standards Agency scored the restaurant’s food hygiene rating as the lowest mark, 0, meaning, ‘Urgent Improvement Necessary’.
Savage message
In the website’s leaving post, Valento pointed fingers at The Highgate Society for never responding to collaboration requests, lockdown customers who never visited when the pandemic ended, and neighbours who “lived a few doors away yet ordered delivery from somewhere else”.
Valento added a biting comment: “To the community of Highgate and its neighbours – thank you for never supporting us, not even once.”
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But he had a more genuine thanks for his staff – Roberto Diego and Daniele – and waiters from the eatery’s history, for their “passion”, and for “enduring the humiliation of entire evenings with an empty dining room”, and for faithful customers: “We’ll miss you. Perhaps one day we’ll meet again in Italy.”
“To those who said, back in 2019, ‘they’ll close within three months’ – congratulations! You were only off by five years and nine months. We are guests in this country, and as guests, we will not complain. We’ll simply say: addio.
“We’re proud to have served the elderly, the children, the joyful and the broken alike. At least we did our duty “It’s only a drop – soon it will dry. Unless, of course, it’s the beginning of a storm.”
Looking back
Described on Instagram as a “true Italian in the beautiful village of Highgate,” and pledging to serve “one of the best pizzas in London,” the osteria served up dishes such as Penne with Beef Ragu Bolognese, Pappardelle with lamb stew in tomato sauce, a selection of pizzas, and gelato.
On Instagram, the Don Ciccio team posted another goodbye announcement. It read: “It’s with fall hearts and deep emotion that we write these words. After years of hard work, smiles, challenges and countiest joys, our restaurant Don Ciccio has now closed its doors.
“The decision was not an easy one – and saying goodbye is even harder. Throughout these years, every dish we served, every laugh we shared, every kind word you offered gave real meaning to our daily efforts.”
Final words
“We always wanted Don Ciccio to be more than just a restaurant – a place that felt like home, where time slowed down and people came together around honest food, true flavours and genuine hospitality.”
It added: ‘Your affection has been our energy, our motivation to do better every day. And seeing your appreciation reflected in our wonderful 4.7 rating on Google is not just a number, it’s a symbol of the special bond we built together.
“Every review, every kind word, every piece of advice helped us grow and improve.”
