Business & Tech

Au Revoir to Greenwich's Versailles Restaurant? [UPDATED]

For more than 30 years, the French restaurant and patisserie was a mainstay on Greenwich Avenue.

 

Updated, 2:50 p.m.:

A spokesman for Versailles, said Tuesday afternoon that the restaurant is now for sale.

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"For five years it has been a labor of love. They hope a professional restaurant group will buy the business," said Stephen Bruce.

“We cannot thank Greenwich enough for all the support the community gave Versailles over the last 5 years. It’s been a privilege to serve our community for the last 5 years; we’ve had a good run. Versailles is for sale and it is our hope the next owners will carry on its great tradition of serving the Greenwich community,” Ingrid and Steve McMenamin said in a statement released by Bruce.

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The venerable Greenwich Avenue bistro closed its doors on Easter. It was established in 1980 by the late Maurice Clos-Versailles.

Original story:

Until Easter Sunday, the Versailles Brasserie and Patisserie on Greenwich Avenue was a destination for Francophile foodies serving up its hearty French onion soup and coq au vin, and light-as-air quiches, crepes and Napoleons, and chewy baguettes.

The bistro seemingly closed overnight. Greenwich Patch readers wrote that on Sunday night while passing the eatery at 339 Greenwich Ave., the windows were covered in brown paper and a 'for lease' sign was in the window. "I thought it was an April Fool's joke," wrote one reader.

But indeed, it's not an April Fool's joke. On Monday, only the Versailles red awning remained as a vestige of the restaurant run by Ingrid and Steve McMenamin. Gone were the daily specials that were handwritten in white on the window panes since 1980.

The phone rings unanswered and the Versailles website has been pulled down.

Besides the simple 'Closed' sign on the door, there is a for lease sign posted in the front window for the real estate firm Cushman Wakefield. A Cushman Wakefield representative referred inquiries to ASC Investments in Cos Cob which did not return a phone call and email seeking comment.

Workers at Greenwich Avenue shops near the restaurant expressed shock. "You're kidding. I was just in there last week," said one worker, who noted there wasn't any indication of the pending closure.

*The story has been updated to reflect the closing date of the restaurant.


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