Israeli restaurant Miznon has closed its Collingwood restaurant after two years of trading, but its Hardware Lane location – which was attacked last year – will remain open.
The CBD venue was targeted in July by a group of about 20 people – some of whom were wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh – who threw food at diners, upended tables, and smashed glasses and a restaurant window.
The Collingwood restaurant, located on the corner of Derby and Cambridge streets, quietly shut its doors for the last time two weeks ago after opening in 2024.
“These are not easy times for hospitality in general. We have seen a decrease in people and spending,” Miznon head chef Afik Gal said.
“We have put lots of love and energy into this place, but it has never really taken off properly … We gave it our best, and it did not work out.”
Gal said a mixture of reasons had led to the Collingwood venue closure, telling The Age it was mainly financial, but that antisemitism may have played a part.
“I know people kind of look for the cause, the political accusation or whatever, and I can’t say I can point a finger to something specifically,” he said. “We have had some minor incidents over the years but nothing dramatic.”
Gal said the owners now wanted to focus on Miznon’s Hardware Lane location.
The restaurant’s closure was announced via a social media post two weeks ago.
“Thank you, Collingwood,” the Facebook post stated. “We loved every moment in this neighbourhood, our magical corner under the big trees, the wide bar, that serves food straight from our heart to our guests. We have made the hardest decision to close Miznon Collingwood and focus our energy on the CBD location.
“To all the guests and our incredible team – thank you for being part of this adventure. You helped make this place special. Looking forward to seeing you all at our CBD location!”
Miznon serves Israeli street food, with menu staples including pita bread stuffed with ratatouille, minute steak and lamb rib, as well as its signature dish – a whole roasted cauliflower.
The two Melbourne restaurants were part of an international hospitality group, part-owned by Israeli businessman Shahar Segal.
Segal is also a spokesman for Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a food aid group backed by Israel and the US, which has been widely criticised for its lack of impartiality and using aid as leverage.
Local artist and gallerist Nina Sanadze operates the Goldstone Gallery next door to Miznon in Collingwood, and said she believed the restaurant had been impacted by a combination of factors including antisemitism.
Sanadze – who was kicked out of her studio at contemporary Melbourne gallery Gertrude in 2024 after the doxxing of a private chat group in which she called Hamas “animals”– knows one of the owners of Miznon, and was sad to see the restaurant close.
“He is not political, he is not religious,” Sanadze said. “The only crime of his is that he cooks Israeli food.”
The Age does not suggest the closure of Miznon’s Collingwood restaurant is linked to the previous targeting of its CBD location.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
