This article was one of Herald Lifestyle’s best-read stories of 2024. The Auckland eatery closed its doors with no warning in late 2023, prompting concerned customers to ask the simple question: what went wrong? Stewart Sowman-Lund finds out. Originally published by The Spinoff There was no official announcement that Auckland restaurant Cotto had closed after five years.
The hugely popular, and critically lauded, Karangahape Road pasta bar had been heading into the busy pre-Christmas period when its doors suddenly shut. Speculation first started to spread on Facebook and Reddit, with concerned patrons questioning why their group bookings had been cancelled at such short notice. Then, a note was seen pinned to the outside of the restaurant blaming “unforeseen circumstances”, though the precise details of this were not made public.
There was no indication if the closure would be permanent and it’s understood staff weren’t even aware the restaurant wouldn’t be opening when they turned up for work on November 21. A few days later, the locks were changed..
