Veteran chef Tony Astle has closed his popular and award-winning Parnell restaurant, Antoine’s. The restaurant, which specialised in fine dining with old-fashioned, silver service shut its doors two weeks ago.
"We want to thank you all for the loyal support over the past 47 years, but the time has come for us to say goodbye. You will all sincerely be missed, and the memories will live on from all the great times we had which we thank you for," the celebrated chef wrote on the restaurant's website.
Antoine's opened in Parnell in 1972 and has survived several changes in the industry but remained true to its style of cooking and hospitality. Astle, who has been a mentor to some of the country's highest-profile chefs, including Michael Meredith and Simon Gault, said the closure was not related to COVID-19.
"Antoine's was certainly one of the longest-standing businesses in the area, it was so quintessentially Parnell, it was housed in one of the converted villas and was a true representation of everything Parnell," commented Parnell Business Association general manager, Cheryl Adamson.
The restaurant’s closure marks an end of an era for Parnell dining. Astle has yet to decide what is next for him professionally but noted on his website:
"Although this is me signing off for now, there might be something new in the pipeline a bit later so, keep your eyes peeled. Once again, thank you to all."
