Closed for Business: Babouche Restaurant, 2 Lincoln Place

Babouche, the 5-year old Morocccan restaurant on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Lincoln Place, has closed for good, owner Omar Balouma confirmed.

The sprawling, 2,500 square foot restaurant was commanding an $11,000/month rent, and according to Balouma, the closure is due to the poor economy combined with an inflexible landlord.

"Park Slope is a great neighborhood to live in, but we became known more as an event place than a restaurant," said Balouma. "We tried to bring some variety to the neighborhood, but business has been down and it's always quieter during the winter."

Babouche was one of the more unique restaurants in the neighborhood in that it really was a transporting experience, with predominantly white and red decor with plenty of traditional Moroccan designs. Food was traditional Moroccan with French influences with most entrees averaging in the $15 range, and their Monday $12 steak night was one of the best deals in the neighborhood.

What's next for Balouma? "We're going back to Manhattan," he said. "We have a restaurant there called Barbes, and we're opening a new restaurant right across the street from that. The show must go on."

Comments

[parkslopeperson]

Only went there twice, but loved it. Food was good and the atmosphere was wonderful.

[parksloper]

What a shame. I hadn't yet gotten a chance to go and it looks like I waited too long :(