Highgate’s Strada restaurant to close on Saturday

Highgate’s branch of Strada, the Italian eatery, is set to close this weekend, with the chain blaming high rents and business rates.

It’s believed all jobs at the restaurant will be lost, with redundancy being offered to the manager and chef at the site. Strada has not confirmed the number of jobs that will be lost. The closure was announced at short notice, with staff being told less than a month before the planned closure date.

Its sister branch, in Camden Town, closed in February. The restaurant, in South Grove, will close its doors for the last time on Saturday. It has been open for more than a decade.

In January, the company announced it was closing 10 of its 23 sites, not including Highgate.

A spokesperson said: “Following a comprehensive review, it is with regret that we have made the decision to close Strada Highgate. In this increasingly competitive market, with recent increases in rents and rates, it makes it very difficult to operate profitably a full service restaurant serving fresh food.

“We hate closing restaurants and this has been a difficult decision. We also appreciate that this will be a tough time for our staff and local communities alike.”