[Photos for GL courtesy of E.C. Stephens]
Correspondent E.C. Stephens hightailed it over to Babouche the Moroccan restaurant on Fifth Avenue at Lincoln Place in the Slope upon getting word that the gate had been slammed shut. Indeed it had. As can be seen in the picture below, the reason for the closure is quite ironic in the depths of winter: a sidewalk cafe violation. Uh, okay. We’re assuming the violation stems from a different time of year. We hadn’t previously noticed people sitting out there in parkas having Crevettes Au Pistou.
3 responses so far ↓
1 anonymous // Jan 12, 2009 at 11:24 am
I would guess there’s more to this than meets the eye. Babouche never really caught on. The food was fine, but pricey. They had thousands of unfilled square feet, including a hookah room and a finished basement. I just don’t think they generated survival-level income.
2 AM in NY // Jan 14, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Babouche was a really great restaurant, with authentic, delicious Moroccan food, courteous staff and a beautiful interior.
I have gone there with friends, and loved it. It is very sad if they have closed.
3 Lili // Jan 24, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Fortunately they didn’t close down! After some (okay a lot) investigating, I found out that they were forced to close for a # of days due to “operating a sidewalk cafe without a license”. Which the restaurants owners adamantly denied – but admitted to “displaying” some moroccan furniture outside the front door…..enough to land them a fine in the high thousands of dollars! The city has given them hell not just with the fines but with delayed licenses for various things since the original opening 2 years ago. Instead of being grateful that a restaurant of such high caliber and exotic decor would open here, the city has punished them in various ways & made it difficult for them to succeed. I say we all show our support and remember to dine their more often that not…..otherwise we’ll end up having another Starbucks or bank in that spot….how boring….definitely not as interesting an addition to the neighborhood as Babouche.