Overview
It's been little more than a month since Maurice Terzini (Sydney's Icebergs Dining Room and Bar and CicciaBella) and Joe Vargetto's (Mister Bianco, Massi) new CBD venture Cucina Povera Vino Vero first opened its doors. But already, those doors are shut, with existing table bookings cancelled and all future reservations disabled on the venue's website.
The short-lived restaurant's Instagram profile has been scrubbed of all content and Google has flagged it as being 'temporarily closed', too.
While at this stage, neither co-owner has shared a public explanation for the abrupt closure, Vargetto has confirmed it'll be a permanent one — at least on his part. He shared a brief statement with Concrete Playground, saying: "It is an unfortunate situation but [I] will not be re-opening Cucina Povera".
Terzini also confirmed the restaurant was closed, but told Concrete Playground that he was unable to comment further at this time.
The Sydney-based restaurateur also responded to a July 23 Instagram post regarding the issue from restaurant critic John Lethlean, simply saying: "Been a tough start on this one John. We are working through it all and hope to have sorted next week. Had a series of unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances affecting our ability to do what we do best."
It's unknown whether Cucina Povera will reopen in some format under Terzini, and it's unclear what will happen to the building itself. The Little Collins Street site was previously home to Vargetto's solo venture Massi, before it closed last year to make way for the restaurateurs' new joint project.
As Terzini shared with Concrete Playground last November, Cucina Povera was imagined as a cosy Italo-Aus diner that's a little bit punk and built on a simple 'less is more' approach to cooking, with a vibe inspired by the garages of suburban Melbourne and Sydney.
Cucina Povera Vino Vero is now closed, with bookings no longer available. We'll share more information as it comes.
Top Image: Restaurateur Joe Vargetto