{"id":7689,"date":"2026-02-28T19:20:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T19:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=7689"},"modified":"2026-02-28T19:20:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T19:20:20","slug":"inside-legendary-nyc-restaurants-final-night-after-120-years-of-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=7689","title":{"rendered":"Inside legendary NYC restaurant&#8217;s final night after 120 years of service"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>After exactly 120 years, the curtain has fallen on the Theater District institution Barbetta, with the iconic Italian restaurant having served its final course Friday night.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt left such an impact on people,\u201d said Suzanna Gardijan, who has been working at Barbetta for 38 years as its Private Events Manager.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverybody\u2019s coming back tonight just to say goodbye, and a lot of people are crying, telling us how much Barbetta has meant to them,\u201d Gardijan said from her perch at coat check.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Patrons are seen enjoying their final meal at the elegant and iconic Italian restaurant Barbetta on Friday night. <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Barbetta was famed for its elegant interiors and its large menus. Customer Aara Menzi is seen perusing the menu for the final time on Friday. <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Throngs of well-wishers filled its stately Astor family-built townhouse on 46th Street, full of Italian antiques and furniture, all craving one last plate of the eatery\u2019s signature dishes from Pacific Swordfish to its red wine and beef concoction Bue Al Barolo.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>One of the revelers bidding adieu was Bill Bradley, the NBA Hall of Famer and three-term Jersey senator.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a genuine sadness to it because there won\u2019t be another Barbetta,\u201d Bradley told The Post with tears in his eyes following his last meal at the restaurant.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom the people first, to the atmosphere, the unbelievable food and perfect location; you put all of that together and you have something special, and it\u2019s all thanks to Laura.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><figcaption>Longtime customers flocked to the restaurant for a final meal. Servers are seen bringing out desserts. <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>A bartender is seen making an Aperol Spritz on the final night of service. <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He\u2019s referring to Laura Maiogli. Starting in 1962, she ran Barbetta with meticulous attention to detail and a passion for the business.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She died at age 93 on Jan. 17, and staff members speculate that it was Maioglio\u2019s decision that Barbetta should close upon her death.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLaura was an amazing woman who taught me everything,\u201d Gardijan told The Post of her boss, who would frequently take her staff to Italy for culinary inspiration.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe had such an attention to detail and wanted the restaurant to be like her home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>A server is seen ready to take out a tray of cocktails to Barbetta\u2019s main dining room. <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Bronnie Kupris, long time customer, told The Post she was saddened by the closure of the restaurant.  <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Maioglio was only Barbetta\u2019s second-ever owner, which long made it the oldest restaurant in New York City owned by the same founding family.\u00a0It\u2019s also widely known as the oldest Italian restaurant in Manhattan. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo have a restaurant be in the family for that long, what an accomplishment!\u201d said Sal Scognamillo, who runs the young-by-comparison 1944-era Patsy\u2019s Italian Restaurant a few blocks away.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey kept it going A-1, first-class all the way, never compromising their quality or integrity. That\u2019s how a restaurant should be run.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Maioglio initially took it over from her Italian-born father, Sebastiano, who first opened the eatery at a time when Italian food was still a delicacy at the turn of the century.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Alice Uhul, who married her late husband Mitch in Barbetta\u2019s leafy garden in October 1996, returned to Barbetta armed with her wedding photos for Friday\u2019s final meal. <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>\u201cI was devastated when I heard it was closing, it made me cry,\u201d Uhul told The Post. \u201cI\u2019m going to have the swordfish tonight, because that\u2019s what we had at our wedding.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Aaron and Aara Menzi had their wedding party at Barbetta in 1997. They returned on Friday. <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He served the USA\u2019s earliest Italian celebrities, including the opera singer Enrico Caruso and conductor Artruo Toscanini.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBarbetta introduced Piemontese cuisine to America,\u201d Andrew Cotto, the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of <a href=\"https:\/\/appetitomagazine.com\/\">Appetito Magazine<\/a>, a digital publication dedicated to Italian cuisine and culture, told The Post. <\/p>\n<p>The restaurant was one of the first to introduce and popularize truffles in the States, for example.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhether regional Italian or classic Italian-American, it\u2019s always sad when an institution like this closes because they are so important to the cultural fabric of our city.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Owner Laura Maioglio with her longtime friend Wallace Jordan in 2015. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Jordan was in attendance on Friday night, paying tribute to his late friend Maioglio and her legendary restaurant. <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Barbetta on the big screen<\/h2>\n<p>In the intervening decades, Barbetta became firmly stitched in that Big Apple fabric.<\/p>\n<p>Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol, John Lennon, Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman all dined there.<\/p>\n<p>Even The Rolling Stones were frequent guests, endearing themselves to Laura\u2019s mother, Piera, who took a liking to Mick Jagger and company in return.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c(Once) they came in and said, \u2018How\u2019s mom?&#8217;\u201d Maioglio recalled in a <a href=\"https:\/\/w42st.com\/post\/laura-maioglios-barbetta-a-century-of-culinary-heritage-on-hells-kitchens-restaurant-row\/\">2024 interview<\/a> with <em>W42ST<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe had died just two weeks before and we had put a photograph with a black velvet border in the coat room. They went out, bought a bouquet of flowers, brought it back, put it in front of her picture, and said, \u2018That\u2019s for mama.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Its prime location in the midst of the Great White Way made Barbetta the go-to spot for theater-adjacent parties, including the opening night celebration of \u201cHamilton,\u201d its theater a mere block away.<\/p>\n<p>The restaurant\u2019s museum-quality interiors were also frequently on the big screen thanks to filmmakers like Martin Scorsese (he captured a scene for \u201cThe Departed\u201d inside) and Woody Allen (who put its stately digs in flicks like \u201cCelebrity\u201d and \u201cAlice\u201d).\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward at Barbetta in 1989. <span class=\"credit\">Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Dustin Hoffman and Sting are seen at the restaurant in 1989. <span class=\"credit\">Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even Jimmy Stewart shot a movie there: 1959\u2019s \u201cThe FBI Story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the small screen, Barbetta has been front and center in \u201cMad Men\u201d and \u201cSex and the City.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith Barbetta closing, it\u2019s a great loss to the city,\u201d longtime Barbetta fan Geraldo Rivera told The Post of the restaurant known for its blazing marquee outside and grand decor, including an antique piano.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know anybody who could fill Laura\u2019s shoes; she was an extraordinary and graceful person, always so kind and gentle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With Laura at the helm, fashion shows were <a href=\"https:\/\/timesmachine.nytimes.com\/timesmachine\/1969\/09\/29\/78395762.html?pageNumber=50\">thrown in its sunny garden<\/a> in the groovy \u201960s.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Maioglio\u2019s husband, the late Gunther Blobel, was also a force: a molecular biologist, he won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1999.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Naturally, the reception was held at Barbetta.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Rivera, who fondly remembers Barbetta\u2019s creamy mozzarella and thin-sliced prosciutto, recalls one night in 2016 in the heat of the Presidential election when the Clintons showed up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLaura was introducing Hillary to people at the restaurant in a way that wasn\u2019t an endorsement, but a welcome, and they made the rounds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe was like Elaine (of her namesake iconic restaurant, which also closed when she died in 2011) and I miss them both,\u201d Rivera said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo shining lights, gone from the restaurant scene.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Round of Applause<\/h2>\n<p>As the packed restaurant continued to dole out its last licks as its final night went on, diners spontaneously burst into a round of applause when Gardijan walked across the floor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was not expecting that,\u201d she told The Post afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>Also zipping around was the waiter Margarito \u2018Mario\u2019 Morales, who first started working at Barbetta in the kitchen 13 years ago before working his way up the ladder.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy favorite Barbetta memory is of whenever Laura was here,\u201d Morales told The Post as he vaulted from one guest to another.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I heard Barbetta was closing, I cried and immediately made a reservation,\u201d said Alan Reiff, another mourner and longtime customer who remembers his first visit 39 years ago, after seeing Carol Channing in \u201cHello Dolly.\u00a0\u201c<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Ruthanne Zentner had her wedding party at Barbetta in 2005.  <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Zentner and her husband (center) brought along their family and friends to Barbetta on Friday \u2014 21 years after their wedding party there.  <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Also in the crowd on Friday night were multiple brides who had their weddings at Barbetta.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was devastated when I heard it was closing, it made me cry,\u201d said Alice Uhul, who married her late husband Mitch in Barbetta\u2019s leafy garden in October 1996.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m going to have the swordfish tonight, because that\u2019s what we had at our wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018Where are you going?\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWhen you lose a place that\u2019s been around for so long, the character of the neighborhood becomes a little bit less,\u201d the photographer Karla Murray told The Post.<\/p>\n<p>She, along with husband James, have been chronicling small businesses around New York for the past 25 years in books and a popular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jamesandkarla\/?hl=en\">Instagram<\/a> page.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The elegant main dining room is pictured as the final night of service began on Friday. <span class=\"credit\">stefano Giovannini for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cNow is the time to support your mom and pop businesses. You can\u2019t just assume they\u2019ll be there tomorrow or the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, emotional staff members are wondering what\u2019s next. \u201cI have no idea,\u201d said Gardijan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of people are asking me, \u2018Where are you going? We\u2019ll follow you!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/02\/28\/lifestyle\/bye-bye-barbetta-inside-legendary-nyc-restaurants-final-night-after-120-years-of-service\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After exactly 120 years, the curtain has fallen on the Theater District institution Barbetta, with the iconic Italian restaurant having served its final course Friday night.&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7690,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7689\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}