One of Sydney‘s most celebrated Vietnamese restaurants has announced it will close its doors after more than two decades of service, joining a growing list of much-loved venues lost to the city’s punishing dining climate.
Darlinghurst institution Red Lantern, co-founded by celebrity chef Luke Nguyen alongside his sister Pauline Nguyen and partner Mark Jensen, will serve its final meals on Saturday, November 22.
The decision will mark the end of a 23-year chapter that reshaped the way many Australians viewed Vietnamese dining.
When the restaurant first opened in 2002, it was a revelation.
At the time, Vietnamese food was often associated with formica tables and budget eats, but Red Lantern changed that narrative by offering the cuisine with polished service, premium produce and a fine-dining touch.
Dishes like caramelised pork and prawn-and-pork rice cakes quickly became signatures, winning critical acclaim and a loyal following.
But even icons aren’t immune to the current pressures crushing Sydney hospitality.
Co-owner and chef Mark Jensen told the Sydney Morning Herald dwindling customer numbers during a particularly harsh winter, the rising cost of living, relentless bouts of wet weather, and Sydneysiders’ growing tendency to chase the next new thing as key reasons behind the closure.
Darlinghurst institution Red Lantern will serve its final meals on Saturday, November 22
The restaurant was co-founded by celebrity chef Luke Nguyen alongside his sister Pauline Nguyen and partner Mark Jensen
The restaurant will celebrate its final months with special events and collaborations before closing the chapter on its Riley Street site.
While Red Lantern winds down, the trio behind it aren’t disappearing from food entirely.
Luke Nguyen remains busy with his Sydney Fish Market venture and TV projects, Jensen is focusing on his Tiger Purrr Chai start-up, and Pauline Nguyen continues to build her career as an author and keynote speaker.
Red Lantern’s closure adds to an already bruising year for Sydney diners.
Just this month, Neutral Bay favourite Mr Yip confirmed it would also close at the end of September.
The dumpling house, run by Hong Kong–trained chef Kirk Yip, had become a go-to for handmade dim sum since opening in 2021.
The news came only weeks after another Neutral Bay staple, Green Sprouts Vegan Chinese Restaurant, served its final yum cha on August 31.
Known for its plant-based take on Hong Kong dining, complete with roaming dim sum carts, the venue became a cult hit among vegans and non-vegans alike.
The restaurant will celebrate its final months with special events and collaborations before closing the chapter on its Riley Street site
These closures follow a string of other high-profile goodbyes this year, including Manly Wharf institutions Saké and El Camino Cantina, which shut down in June after 15 years, and Darlinghurst’s Lankan Filling Station, which announced it will serve its final hoppers after seven years.
Industry insiders say it’s the perfect storm of rising rents, soaring produce costs, tighter consumer budgets and shifting dining habits that has left many venues struggling.
Diners are increasingly selective, with many saving their money for special-occasion meals or the next Instagram-hyped opening rather than returning to long-time favourites.
Locals say the loss of Mr Yip and Green Sprouts leaves Military Road ‘a little emptier’ – and a whole lot less delicious – while the end of Red Lantern marks the close of an era for Sydney dining.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .